A quick-thinking 8th-grader saved the day when his school bus driver had a medical emergency last week.
Acie Holland III noticed the bus carrying him and his fellow students was starting to veer into an oncoming lane. He told Scripps News Milwaukee he then noticed his school bus driver was unresponsive.
"As we got about 20 feet down [the street], I was looking at my phone, and I looked back up and I felt the bus accelerate," Holland III said. "And I looked at the bus driver because she went past my stop, and I looked and I seen her head just go down."
That's when the 8th grader sprung into action, moving the bus driver's foot off the gas and hitting the brakes.
"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," Holland III added.
The boy then securely parked the bus, contacted 911 and told the younger students to call their parents. He also called his grandma, who is a nurse, to help in the situation.
The driver soon regained consciousness and was able to call her dispatch, who sent an alternate driver to finish out the route.
"He's an ace," the boy's father, Acie Holland II, said. "It's nice to know that he's carrying that name along, so that makes me feel awesome."
Since Holland III was young, the two have spent time working on cars and learning about mechanics.
"It didn't phase me because I know that he's capable of almost anything," said Holland II.
And the brave kid also helped save the day for Scripps News Milwaukee; he helped jump the dead battery for a station news car while at Glen Hills Middle School.
The Glen Hills school community said it could not be any prouder of their student, which was evident as students chanted "AC-Hero" when school let out on Thursday.
"The compassion and leadership that we see him exhibit daily was taken to the next level on his bus ride home," the middle school said in a letter to the campus community. "We are grateful that all of our Glen Hills students are safe and are wishing their driver a healthy recovery."
The young man is also an excellent wrestler and enjoys go-karting. He credits the positive impact his family has had on him for his quick-thinking and confidence.
"That just comes from being raised around positive people and being surrounded by positive people," Holland III said.
This story was originally published by Mike Beiermeister and Jay Sirkin on Scripps News Milwaukee.
