Teen's quick thinking when school bus driver lost consciousness after heart attack avoids disaster

Quick wit and courage can save a person in all kinds of difficult situations. The display of these qualities is especially remarkable when it comes from young children. In one such situation, a tenth-grader sprung into action and saved the lives of a bus full of children after noticing their bus driver having a heart attack behind the wheel. The girl, Emma Kuveya, is a Gold Coast student and was going home on Aquinas College's charter bus, as per the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The girl was sitting right behind the driver's seat and noticed that something was wrong as the driver was heading towards the traffic lights. "I screamed at the bus driver, 'Oh, what are you doing?" She added, "And then the second time I was screaming, I didn't actually get to finish, and we hit the traffic light." The incident happened at the Southport Nerang Road at Ashmore which is quite a busy road. Kuveya realized that the driver was unconscious and had no control over the vehicle in his state. "We were in the middle lane so we were about to swerve onto the oncoming traffic, so I just grabbed the steering wheel and just swerved it over to the right lane," the student recounted.

"I was on my knees, and I grabbed the bus driver's foot, taking it off the accelerator while keeping one hand on the wheel," she said, explaining how she managed to gain control of the wheel to save everyone. A year 12 student, Daniel Knight immediately came forward to help the 15-year-old control the bus. There were approximately 20 students on the bus when the 70-year-old driver had a heart attack and lost consciousness while driving, as per 9 News. "Us students on the bus, we didn't know what was happening and everyone was screaming," Bennet Rogers, a student on the bus, told the outlet. "She had to steer the bus so we didn't crash into a building."

"We were only going like five [kilometers an hour] (or 3 miles), 10 k's, so I was like I better just stop the bus before it gets any worse," Knight, who assisted Kuveya, shared. "She opened the door up, she was calming everyone down." Now, people are applauding the teens for their brave act. Their principal, Marcus Richardson even wrote a letter to their parents, appreciating their quick thinking and bravery. "Fortunately, no one was hurt, and all students safely returned to the college," Richardson told the New York Post. "As a college, our primary concern remains the safety, well-being and support of students."

"I would like to commend the actions of the students and staff involved today to ensure that all members of our school community remain safe," the principal commented. The driver is safe and recovering at a hospital as well. Queensland Ambulance Service senior operations supervisor John Nolan shared more details about the incident with the Gold Coast Bulletin. “I did say ‘Well done’ to her. She was a little bit flustered and some of the other students were a little emotional," he said, "Some teachers arrived soon after and walked the students back to school, but all those students are safe because of her actions and she should be very proud.”