US boy could avert bus crash because his parents didn't give him a cell phone

Dillon Reeves, a seventh grader who recently stopped a school bus from crashing in Michigan after the driver lost consciousness was able to perform the heroic task because he was the only passenger who was not distracted by an electronic device.

According to Dillon’s father, Steve, the parents had decided to not provide him with a cell phone - a decision that paid off in a big way during the crisis.

“What else are you going to do when you don’t have a phone? You’re going to look at people, you’re going to notice stuff. You’re going to look out the window. It’s a very powerful lesson, maybe a change-the-world kind of lesson," Steve was quoted as saying by CBS.

Steve added that when the police called him regarding his son, he was anticipating the call to go in another direction.

"'Are you the parent of Dillon Reeves?'" Steve Reeves recalled the police asking him. "And I said, 'Yes.' And I go 'What'd he do?' And he goes 'No, this is a good phone call. Your son is a hero. He stopped the bus.'"

While Dillon was busy accessing the situation and saving the day, other students were seemingly engrossed in their smartphones, blissfully unaware of the tragedy waiting to unfold.

“I had my AirPods in,” said one student, while another added: “I was looking on my phone.”

“I was on my phone playing a little game," added the third student.

Incident caught on camera

The incident was caught on the bus security camera and quickly went viral across social media platforms. In the video, Dillon can be seen calmly approaching the driver who had passed out due to a medical emergency. He takes control of the steering wheel and pilots the bus away from traffic, eventually bringing the vehicle to a sweet stop as he did not break too abruptly.

“Someone call 911! Now!” Dillon yelled as the bus came to a halt.

After the incident, Superintendent Robert Livernois said it was the first time he had witnessed such an act of courage.

"In my 35-plus years of education, this was an extraordinary act of courage and maturity on his part. He ran to the front of the bus, grabbed the steering wheel and brought the bus to a stop in the middle of the road," said Livernois.

"And he had the wherewithal to push the brake down slowly - likely in anticipation that the bus was full of passengers."

Quizzed about his parent's decision to withhold the cell phone from him for an even longer period, Dillion replied in the typical teenage way, “Whatever. My parents are old school."

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: