8th grader rescues students on school bus after their driver passes out

When their school bus driver experienced a medical emergency, Acie Holland III came to the rescue and gained a reputation as a hero.

Last Wednesday while on the bus with other students, Glen Hills eighth-grader Holland III saw that the school bus was starting to drift into the oncoming lane. He soon observed that the driver was not responding.

He told TMJ4, “As we got about 20 feet down Villard, I was looking at my phone and I looked back up and I felt the bus accelerate. And I looked at the bus driver because she went past my stop and I looked and I seen her head just go down.”

“I ran up there, I took control of the bus because I was scared but at the same time, I was like I wanted to just make sure everyone was okay, and that nothing was gonna happen while I was there,” he continued.

After successfully moving the bus driver’s foot off the gas and hitting the brakes, Holland III parked the bus and called 911 before urging the younger students to call their parents. Shortly afterward, the driver became conscious again and was able to contact her dispatch.

The young man attributed his confidence and fast thinking to the positive influence his family has had on him. He remarked, “That just comes from being raised around positive people and being surrounded by positive people.”

His father, Acie Holland II, declared, “He’s an ace,” with satisfaction at his son’s accomplishment. Because they have been working on cars and mechanics from the teen’s early years, he explained, “It didn’t phase me because I know that he’s capable of almost anything.”

“It’s nice to know that he’s carrying that name along, so that makes me feel awesome,” his father stated.

The students at Glen Hills School chanted “AC-Hero” the day after Holland III’s action, and the school community said they were proud of him.

The school’s principal, Anna Young, told WISN “I really hope that people take away the fact that like everyday people can do really extraordinary things. I think that our students, when they step outside of their comfort zones, can surprise themselves.”

Holland III shared that the act “Made me feel good that I know that I saved people and I know I feel more confident now and brave.”

On the other hand, the bus driver is still recuperating, according to the Glendale-River Hills School District.