Brave Age 11 Boy Rushes to Front of Bus After Seeing Driver's Lifeless Body on Floor
Kids (of all ages) get a lot of grief for spending their time playing video games. “It’s a waste of time,” they’re told, which can certainly be true if there are more pressing matters to attend to elsewhere.
It’s a form of escapism at times, similar to reading a book for enjoyment to be transported to other worlds, other sets of rules and other possibilities.
But perhaps video games also prepare kids to adapt and help in situations they’ve never encountered before. Video games have been known to improve hand-eye coordination, but as they become more lifelike and complex, scientists are also beginning to notice that those who play video games can transfer some of those processing skills to everyday situations.
Whether or not that is the case for an 11-year-old named Will Restall, games start and end this story. He was sitting on the bus on his way to school last Monday, Sept. 17, playing a game on his phone.
It must have been “one of those Mondays,” because Will had barely made it to the bus in time. He sat near the front of the bus and kept his eyes on his phone.
The drive was uneventful, and soon the busload of students who were probably still mourning the weekend was parked in front of the school, and the bus was waiting for its cargo to disembark.
Then Will heard a loud sound and his attention left his game. The driver had fallen, and had collapsed into the bus stairwell.
Will, just a 6th grader, remembered what he’d been told the year before during safety training, so he got up and found the 2-way radio, using it to call for help.
Will was not the only child on the bus, and he wasn’t the oldest child there, either. But he was the first to do something useful, and help was soon on the way. As he later said, it was just “the right thing to do.”
Fortunately the bus driver was conscious by the time medical help arrived, and it looks like she’ll be okay. According to the Hartford Courant, she’d said she wasn’t feeling great shortly before collapsing.
Will’s mom Tara Restall didn’t find out about her son’s heroics until later. Mary E. Grande, the principal, called all the parents of the students on the bus to let them know what had occurred.
But she had a special message for Will’s mom.
“She called him a hero,” Restall said. “He’s 11 and doesn’t understand, but everyone is proud of him.”
According to the bus company’s spokeswoman, the driver was “at home resting and recovering and she is going to be OK. We’re thankful the student was able to help.”
Of course, after people caught wind of the story, Will was inundated with interview requests. He wasn’t so sure about the whole thing until his dad stepped in and made the decision simple.
His father said that he “had to bribe him.” With what? Fortnite V-Bucks. Play on, Will!
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