It was a normal day in late April for Acie Holland III, an eighth-grader at Glen Hills Middle School, a high school in Wisconsin, in the United States.
He followed his routine and took the school bus to go home. The bus driver joked with the students before putting on headphones, Holland reported.
Then things suddenly changed. From his seat in the middle of the bus, Holland said he saw that the driver seemed a little sick or tired. Then, she suddenly lowered her head.
He knew something was wrong when she kept stepping on the gas.
“She turned the corner and there was another street that we usually turn on. [Mas] She hit the gas and went around the corner, and I looked up [na direção da motorista]”, Holland explained to CNN.
The student went to the front of the bus to check on her, but she did not respond. She had temporarily lost consciousness and the bus was starting to move into oncoming traffic.
Then, Holland rushed to take the driver's foot off the accelerator. He said he hit the brakes and parked the bus safely.
“I wasn’t really scared, I was just trying to make the bus stop,” he highlighted.
After stopping the bus, Holland contacted emergency services and his grandmother, who is a nursing assistant. He also instructed the other 13 to 15 students on board to call their families.
“Everyone was like, ‘Thank you,’ because I saved their lives,” said Holland, who hopes to one day own a barbershop or auto repair shop.
Glen Hills Middle School Principal Anna Young wrote in a note to families that “the community could not be more proud of Acie.”
“The compassion and leadership we see him display daily was taken to the next level yesterday. We are grateful that all of our Glen Hills students are safe and we wish the driver a healthy recovery,” she continued.
Eventually, the driver regained consciousness and called her bus company, who sent someone else to get the students home safely.
According to the school principal, the driver received treatment.
Proud and relieved parents
At first, Holland's father, Acie Holland II, didn't believe him when he heard the story later that day.
“Dad, I saved the school bus from crashing,” said the son. As much as I was perplexed, the father remembered that the young man always helped others.
“He was always a very fast person. That's one of the things that I know he's capable of, not on the school bus, but in general, being able to help someone in need,” Acie Holland II highlighted to CNN.
“I’m proud of what he did,” he said.
The small, close-knit community continues to show its pride since the incident. At a school board meeting earlier this week, Holland gained recognition through a statement from the mayor and city council.
The Glendale Police Department and Milwaukee Fire Department also praised his heroism.
Vehicle experience
Holland has some experience with vehicles. Since he was little, he has worked with his father, an automotive technician.
“It was like he was in the right place at the right time. It was so, it was meant to be for several reasons, the most important being the safety of others,” said Glen Hills Middle School Principal Anna Young.
Holland is grateful for all the recognition he has received. He says he's happy he was able to get everyone home safely, adding that the experience has given him more self-confidence.
“I feel more confident in a 'fight or flight' moment,” he commented.
Source: CNN Brasil
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