WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP – Several Holy Redeemer High School students are being credited for helping to stop their school bus Monday afternoon after its driver suffered a medical emergency.
Wilkes-Barre Township police were called to the 600-block of Blackman Street shortly before 3 p.m. after getting a 911 call from Lainey Conway, a Holy Redeemer student, who on the bus at the time.
The bus, Crestwood Bus #7 with 13 students on board, had just picked-up students at Holy Redeemer and was heading to Mountain Top when the emergency occurred.
When students realized the driver was in distress, students Ryan Martinelli and Kaden Ayre rushed to help – at first trying to apply the brake – and later successfully setting the parking brake of the bus.
During the incident, the bus did start rolling backwards. In response, several of the other students on board tried to signal to the driver behind the bus that there was an emergency. While rolling backwards, the bus did strike the vehicle directly behind it.
Emergency responders arrived on scene and stabilized the bus driver, who was transported to the hospital for treatment.
No students on the bus were injured. Crestwood Superintendent Rob Mehalick responded to the scene and offered assistance to all of the students on the bus. All of the students were released to their families.
“I am so proud of our Holy Redeemer students this afternoon, who used quick-thinking when they realized there was an emergency situation underway on their bus. They calmly worked together to respond to what was taking place. Our thoughts and prayers at this hour continue to be with the bus driver who suffered a medical condition,” Holy Redeemer Principal Doreen Dougherty said.
The current condition of the bus driver is not known at this time.
Wilkes-Barre Township police say no traffic citations will be filed because the crash resulted from a medical emergency.