A teenager has been hailed as a hero after steering a school bus to safety when the driver suffered a suspected heart attack while behind the wheel.
The bus was carrying students from Aquinas College Southport when it crashed into a median strip and came to rest near the intersection of Southport Nerang Road and Olsen Avenue in Southport on the Gold Coast on Monday afternoon.
Horrified teenagers on the bus reported that The 70-year-old driver screamed and clutched his chest before falling motionless.
Emergency services praised the 15-year-old girl’s “brave and courageous” actions in the moments following the driver’s medical episode.
The girl safely stopped the bus on a busy road after passing through a busy intersection.
“She took her foot off the accelerator and her hands off the steering wheel and kept the bus in a straight line while slowing down,” Queensland Ambulance Service operations supervisor John Nolan said.
‘(The driver) lost consciousness for a while and a 15-year-old girl came to his aid.’
There were about 25 students on board the bus at the time and no injuries were reported.
The school bus (pictured) came to a halt after a 15-year-old schoolgirl took the wheel when the 70-year-old driver suffered a suspected heart attack.
After the 15-year-old bravely took the wheel, the bus crashed into traffic lights before coming to a stop.
She said the girl was “a little nervous” and some of the students on the bus were quite emotional after the incident.
“It was a very brave and very bold thing for him to do and he saved all his schoolmates from harm,” Nolan added.
“Some teachers arrived shortly after and escorted the students back to school, but all of those students are safe thanks to her actions and she should be very proud.”
The school has praised the actions of the students and staff involved.
“This afternoon, an Aquinas College school bus carrying students was involved in an accident outside our facility,” Aquinas College Principal Marcus Richardson said in a statement.
The school bus involved was loaded onto a tow truck after a terrifying ordeal for the 25 students on board.
‘Fortunately, no one was injured and all students returned safely to the university.
‘I would like to commend the actions of the students and staff involved today in ensuring that all members of our school community remained safe.
“As a school, our primary concern remains the safety, well-being and support of our students.”
Counseling will be provided to students affected by the incident.
The bus driver was rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital in a serious condition.