Washington teen wakes up sleeping bus driver, saves bus

Emmanuel Williams, 17, says he noticed something was wrong with his bus driver when he boarded the bus that day.

The 65-year-old driver's eyes kept closing as he swerved along his bus route, collecting students for Mount Tahoma High School.

Williams watched the driver closely, and then sprung from his seat and ran to the front of the bus when he saw the driver's head drop, nodding off while entering an onramp.

"I was looking at him and his eyes would close, and when we'd get to a turn, he'd look both ways, start driving again, and they would close more and more," Williams told KOMO-TV.

"And as soon as I see his head go down, and I see the bus go back to the freeway, I hop up, get to the front of the bus as fast as I can. Something would have happened if I didn't get up."

Video surveillance of the incident shows Williams grabbing the driver's hand, looking him in the eye, and then sitting directly behind the driver. Once alert, the driver braked.

Twenty-five students were on board.

The school board is looking into the incident. The driver has an impeccable driving record, so officials are investigating into health issues and medications he may be taking. In the meantime, the driver is on paid administrative leave.