A couple of middle school students from Maine have been hailed as heroes as they attempted to save their bus driver, who had a medical event while driving.
Brothers Connor and Shamus Collins were with 12 other kids from the Mt. Ararat Middle and High School when their 77-year-old bus driver, Arthur McDougall, experienced a heart attack on the way to their school. The brothers got up and stepped on the brakes with quick thinking when they noticed McDougall.
Connor, the older brother who had a driver's permit, told Shamus to phone 911 immediately, and then he grabbed the steering wheel to take the bus away from traffic. He was also thinking about the ditch by the highway that could kill them all if they crashed.
Shamus recalled that many of the kids were freaking out and screaming in panic, per New York Daily News. Fortunately, Connor was able to stop the bus in a safe place, and then someone else rushed to McDougall to try and revive him. The rest of the kids got out of the bus to hail for help from the other vehicles.
Saving Mr. McDougall
Soon after, the emergency first responders were on the scene for Mr. McDougall, who was then taken to the Maine Medical Center. Despite their best efforts, the bus driver who had a medical event while driving died at the hospital later that day.
However, his wife Diane McDougall extended her gratitude to the kids for responding to the emergency and attempting to save her husband, per People. Superintendent Bob Lucy of the Interim Maine School Administrative District 75 posted an announcement that the bus driver passed away on social media.
The Topsham Police Department said that McDougall appeared to have been left incapacitated because of a heart attack. One of the students said that he noticed the bus driver looking unwell that morning, but no one could have predicted what would happen.
The bus driver leaves behind three children who adored him. Meanwhile, the Collins brothers, who averted a catastrophe, said that their bus driver was a good person who was also kind and professional.
What to Do During a Medical Event While Driving
During a medical event, while driving, the best thing to do is to pull over to safety and then call 911 just as the students did. Per Banner Health, emergency driving should only be attempted by professionals because ambulances can help the patient get to the hospital faster, and then the hospital can also prepare ahead for the incoming patient.
Being driven by someone with a heart attack has its risk because the driver is likely not equipped to mentally handle the situation and thus will be distracted. This will then lead to an accident.
As heart attacks can strike anytime and anywhere, those at risk, especially people of a certain age, must take preventive measures and regularly evaluate their health to lower their chances of having a medical event while driving.
