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Heroic students stop school bus, perform CPR on stricken driver

MILTON, Wash. — Police said two middle school students sprang into action when they managed to stop a school bus and perform CPR after the driver slumped over while behind the wheel Monday morning.

The bus, with a full load of students, was on its way to Surprise Lake Middle School in Milton when the driver became stricken just after 8 a.m.

"The bus driver is acting all funny. He's shaking. His arms are flailing. His eyes are bulging, and he's making weird rasping noises with his mouth," said Jeremy Wuitschick, a Surprise Lake Middle School student.

Wuitschick said the bus was careening out of control, heading straight for a church.

Surveillance video from the bus showed the driver as his eyes rolled back and he slumped over, apparently unconscious.

Students could be heard yelling, “Call 911! Call 911!”  "Stop the bus!"  and "Take the keys out of the ignition!"

"So I take action. I leap off my chair. I grab the wheel, turn it to the right side of the road. I take the keys out of the ignition and start slowing down," Wuitschick said.

The bus hit a curb, bumping and finally slowing.

Another student, Johnny Wood, who has been trained in first aid by the Red Cross, also ran to the front of the bus to help.

"I ran up and tried doing chest compressions, but his eyes were rolling back and I could tell it was getting harder for him to breathe," Wood said.

Other students called 911, and a teacher from the school hopped on board the bus to help out.

The bus stopped outside of Discovery Primary School, adjacent to the middle school where the bus was headed.

Medics responded and the driver was taken to a hospital.  His condition is not known.

No students were hurt.