Four Hollidaysburg Area High School students helped stop a bus after its driver became unconscious in Blair County, Pennsylvania, on September 17. The emergency came moments after he had dropped off 10 junior high pupils; the driver was reported to have suffered heat stroke.
The Altoona Mirror reported that the bus began shaking while stopped and missed a planned turn as the driver lost consciousness. Footage of the incident later covered by KXAN Austin showed sophomores Alexis Smith and Jenna Anderson and seniors Skyla Horton and Travis Zerby responding.
Split-Second Roles, No Hesitation
The Mirror reported that Smith moved to the driver's console, shifted the bus out of gear and applied the foot brake, while Horton pulled the emergency parking brake. Students also opened doors to improve airflow and attended to the driver until first responders arrived.
According to the Mirror's account, Zerby used the bus communications system to send emergency codes to operator Fullington Bus Co., while Anderson called 911 for medical help.
Training That Paid Off
Smith and Horton credited their composure to emergency training they received from Alisha Clingerman, their health and medical science teacher at the Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center, who routinely instructs students on managing panic during medical crises, the Altoona Mirror reported. Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School Principal Breanne Venios commended the students after reviewing bus surveillance footage, noting that no students pulled out cellphones to record the incident and praising their execution of safety drills. Hollidaysburg students had practiced bus emergencies, the report noted.
The bus itself was operated by The Fullington Auto Bus Company.
Driver Recovered, Returned to Route
School and broadcast officials confirmed in late September that the driver recovered from the heat stroke incident, received medical clearance, and returned to his regular driving route, according to a report from ABC23. He was treated on-scene and later evaluated by medical professionals before going back to work.
What heat statistics can tell us
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says millions of U.S. workers are exposed to workplace heat and thousands become sick from occupational heat exposure each year. Those national figures do not establish how often school-bus drivers are affected or the heat conditions aboard this bus. They provide broader workplace context, not enough information to determine the conditions in an individual incident.
The response drew on both bus-emergency practice and career-technical health training, according to the Mirror's reporting.
