A 15-year-old pupil is being hailed as a hero after he steered a school bus to a safe stop on a busy road outside Cedar Falls when the driver suddenly collapsed at the wheel.
The bus was carrying 23 pupils home from Cedar Falls Secondary School on Tuesday afternoon when driver Henrik Moll, 58, slumped forward as the vehicle was traveling at about 50 kilometers per hour along the county road toward Lakeshore. Tobias Rennick, who was sitting in the second row, rushed to the front, grabbed the steering wheel and guided the bus onto the hard shoulder.
Quick thinking
Tobias then pressed the brake pedal with his hand while kneeling beside the driver’s seat, brought the bus to a stop, switched off the engine and turned on the hazard lights. A classmate, 14-year-old Elif Marsh, called the emergency number, while two older pupils helped move the younger children to the back of the bus.
It all happened really fast. I just remembered watching Mr. Moll turn the hazard lights on every morning, so I knew where the button was.
Tobias Rennick, pupil
Paramedics arrived within eight minutes. Moll was taken to Cedar Falls Regional Hospital, where he was treated for a sudden medical emergency. Hospital staff said on Wednesday that he was in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery.
Without that young man’s actions, this could have ended very differently. The road is busy at that time and there is a ditch right beside the shoulder.
Inspector Carla Benes, Cedar Falls police
School and family proud
The school’s principal, Mirela Hart, said staff had arranged counseling for pupils who were shaken by the incident. Moll’s family said in a statement that they were deeply grateful and hoped to thank Tobias in person once he was well enough.
The bus company said all its drivers undergo regular health checks, and that it would review whether pupils on longer routes should be shown how to use the hazard lights and emergency radio. The transport ministry has asked school bus operators across the Valley Region to share their safety procedures by the end of the month.
Tobias, who returned to school on Wednesday to applause from his classmates, said he mostly wanted his driver to get better soon.
Comments 3
My niece was on that bus. She says Tobias stayed completely calm the whole time. Incredible kid.
Wishing Mr. Moll a speedy recovery. He has driven that route for years and everyone loves him.
Teaching older pupils where the emergency button is seems like such an easy safety step.