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Subscribe to RSSA teen with just two weeks of driving experience managed to steer her school bus to safety after her driver had a heart attack. WCAU-TV's Deanna Durante reports.
Graceann Rumer, 17, started driving only two weeks ago. But when her school bus driver collapsed from a heart attack Tuesday afternoon, she didn't hesitate to use what she knew to steer a bus full of children to safety.
"I just realized that there's no one driving this bus... I need to do something," Rumer said.
The 17-year-old senior at Calvary Christian Academy in northeast Philadelphia had been driving herself to school recently for practice, but on Tuesday she opted for the bus.
For more information, visit NBCPhiladelphia.com
Rumer and about three dozen other students were riding the bus home when 51-year-old driver Charles Duncan suddenly crumpled to the floor at about 3:30 p.m. Duncan died soon after.
With the driver obstructing the brake pedal, Rumer acted quickly -- grabbing the wheel of the moving bus and making a U-turn to slow it down and change direction, as it was heading into oncoming traffic, witnesses say.
With still no access to the brake pedal, Rumer put the bus into park and successfully and safely stopped it, according to witnesses and bus company officials.
"I usually panic at like everything but I just reached over... grabbed the wheel and I pulled it over to the side and got off the road," Rumer said.
None of the students were injured.
Parents of fellow students, friends and school officials all praised Rumer’s quick thinking and action.
"We had three of our children on the bus along with dozens of other kids and the outcome could have been much different," said Renee Lawsin, one of the parents. "She did something very heroic."
But Rumer dismisses being a hero, instead saying she was just the closest student to the front of the bus who had any driving experience.
"I don't think it was that heroic though. But it was a legit miracle," Rumer tweeted Thursday. "God really protected us."
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News
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Less riveting story than I expected from the headline. More like an old man slipping into a nice warm bath.
And yet you took the time to respond to it...
I didn't say it was a bad story, I had just hoped for more. Don't be a hater.
This board is full of em.
The poor man had a heart attack and fell over and died. She made a u-turn in traffic and put it in park to stop it. All while leaning over a dead or dying man that she knew. All with 2 days of being a driver. I'd say this story has enough to merit its existence.
well impatient girl, not all that merit.
apparently GOD TOOK THE WHEEL, she didnt do anything at all.
but it does boggle my mind why sometimes GOD usurps free will, and other times...he doesnt really care to.
Yet....she doesn't consider herself a hero???? She's a hero to me and to every parent that had a child - or two - or three - on that bus.
But then again - true hero's never consider themselves hero's.....
God works wonders!
And, not being a hater; however, Steve - don't be a @$$! Which is how you come off as.....
just sayin'
That's called religious indoctrination from a private school.
god never usurps free will, its just many humans dont understand that, he doesnt intervene in anything
I'm confused.....who's fighting who in this conversation. I still say the chick rocks!
what is truly riveting and inspiring is this girl's comments. mainly in giving glory to where it is due. wish all kids were like her.
It's due on her, not anyone else. Just FYI. This wasn't like winning a lottery, or some lucky outcome. She took action, the consequences of said action are her responsibility, not anyone else's.
@Ruken "It's due on her, not anyone else."
She's modest and humble, which is admiring in such a young girl.
Jessica 1170252: It really sickens me when an ATHEIST can take a good thing and turn it into something that is totally inappropriate. Why don't you get off your God- hating stand and just accept the good things that God gives us too? Nobody wants to hear your CRAP all the time. It only shows us how BITTER you are.
drezz - so how did he force her to take the wheel and guide everyone to safety?
she's the one saying HE DID ALL THE WORK, a legit miracle, i believe was her quote.
just wish he had used that miracle a few seconds earlier, and not allowed the man to die of a heart attack. guess he was distracted by something?
Unhappy - im not bitter, you appear to be the bitter one.
im just asking questions...and trust me, i know your type doesnt like questions.
So why didnt GOD use his miracle and save the guy who had a heart attack? Why'd he wait til a bus full of kids were in danger?
really confusing if you ask me. and im sure you're confused to...thats why you JUST BELIEVE. it's easier than making sense of it all, cuz there's no sense to be made.
He was too busy interfering in the NFL.
I swear, people find any ol excuse to start a fight on the interwebs.
Life is rough for you guys isn't it?
@Unhappy-1583758 - "It really sickens me when an ATHEIST can take a good thing and turn it into something that is totally inappropriate. Why don't you get off your God- hating stand..."
Atheist's don't necessarily HATE God, they just don't believe.
I would like to see ANYONE (atheist/christian/muslim/etc.) "make sense of it all". You try to put someone down for not giving an explanation yet the very reason you don't believe in something is because you cannot explain everything either... why don't you explain exactly why he died at that moment or how this girl unknowingly jumped to action (her words. - if she really doesn't know where she got the strength then who are you to pass judgement?)? How many wonders are there in this universe that people simply cannot explain? It's funny how new planets, species, etc. are discovered every day but people still act like they know and have the answer to everything. Scientists cannot explain why half of the things in this world work like they do but gladly take credit for simply making observations (half of the drugs on the market have an "unknown mechanism of action"). Just because we observe something happen and have a coorelation does not mean that we understand the true causation. Everyone should ask themselves: what is the purpose of my life? Good luck figuring it out no matter what belief/dis-belief system you subscribe to!
To the story, condolences to the man's family and great job to the girl!
They do more than just not believing. They want everyone else to not believe as well. No crosses on public property, no praying in schools etc etc. I wonder sometimes if atheist's kids trick or treat on halloween? I don't "believe" either but I have no problem with people who do. Maybe that is why I don't consider myself an atheist. If there is a god, I doubt that he goes around all day "testing" people this.
God didn't protect the bus. The free-thinking 17-year old girl took action and stopped the bus safely. What if things had turned out differently, and the bus crashed head-on into an oncoming car - killing students on the bus and all occupants of the car? Would that also have been God's will? If people are going to thank God for "saving" them from harm, they've also got to give him credit for NOT SAVING the multitudes of people who die tragically every day.
REAL heroes never proclaim about how great they are. They just ARE.
This girl is a hero in my book. God Bless you.
Scotty, exactly. Nobody here really knows everything so what sense does it make to go around putting everyone down? It certainly doesn't contribute to a useful discussion, positive attitude, or any new discoveries at all. We all have the right to our beliefs and just because someone else doesn't see things in the same light does not make them any less of a person. Can't we all just get along?
Jessica: Are you saying that God didn't prevent a situation from getting worse? MSNBC likes to take God out of the article. The girl even claimed the power for her quick thinking came from God. Maybe you should look at the other articles on this before you comment. I'm sure that girl believed God showed himself to her that day.
People also once believed the Earth was flat. It doesn't make them right.
Agnostic myself. However, the fact that she's been driving to and from school for the last two weeks for practice, and just happened to opt for the bus that day (what teen will bus to school when wheels are available??) says either 1) impeccable timing, 2) a real coincidence, or 3) devine intervention.
Any of these would work for me personally.
Ruken: Then I guess you believed God. He always said the earth was round.
Which God are talking about,. there are 10,000 Registered just in NY State!!!--What on this particular globe does this have to do with this and anything? I am not involved with the Gods (I am involved Atoms and Molecules) and I would also have grabbed the wheel--would that mean they were saved by one of the many Satins?
Get real people!
For all who believe in God, and all who don't believe in God - what if you are wrong?
No matter what you choose to believe about whether or not there was a divine intervention, it doesn't really matter. SHE has chosen to give the credit elsewhere - perhaps as a coping mechanism, since she seems to be a humble girl and uncomfortable with the "hero" label. Perhaps believing she was not working alone was what kept her calm enough to act. Perhaps she really did have help. Either way, she did a remarkable thing and protected the lives of 36 other young people. Was it her alone, or help from God? Given the outcome, does it really matter?
Way to go little lady!! But wait till you get the bill from the Bus Company for the damage to the Transmission.
Sooo, Unhappy. . . .I guess that makes you a Zeus hater because you don't believe in him?
Just think about how different this discussion would have been if the author of the article had omitted the final sentence. As soon as I read it I knew EXACTLY what I'd find in the comments section.
StrontiDog: I don't believe in Zeus and neither do you, so why do you keep bringing him up?
BackCountry: Of course, nobody would be online to read MSNBC if it weren't for the controversy about God. I know this because nobody thinks of MSNBC as REAL news.
shes not a hero for one reason... everyone in her situation would have reacted the same way to save themselves... the others probably whernt on her mind
Jessica-1170252, god didnt force her. thats the point, shes one of the ones that dont understand the concept. alot of people wanna credit god when it goes good and blame him when it goes bad. the simple fact is, god has a hands off policy when it comes to the everyday doings of people. the reason being is there is not line that can be drawn on it. if he intervened for one person, then he'd have to intervene for everyone, and if he did that free will would be gone, and everyone would be just little robots walking around doing whatever by whatever string god pulls.
What a remarkable young woman! Just when you think the teens have gone to heck in a handbasket, one will pull off something that restores your faith! Red
Rumer has it!
leave the troll alone and he will go away!!!
Red Neckerson - I don't think teens have gone to heck in a handbasket. I see good teens each and every day and only see bad ones on occasion. I think we tend to see bad if we look for and expect it.
Amen SeekingSanity!
This shows how teens can react in situations like this...It's a good thing that Rumer was sitting in the front and had driving experience to act when no one else on the bus could.
Red: while I completely understand where you are coming from, I also know for a FACT that America is FULL of bright, unselfish, caring teens who DO give of themselves, their time and talent to help those less fortunate without looking for something for themselves. Not all, but many have strong faiths and unfortunately, they are the exact same teens that many of the jaded adults who frequently post on this board, laugh at. deride, and otherwise put down. It's funny how much of a double-sword that is. Those are the kids normal,rational people WANT to have as next door neighbors, not the faithless, disrespectos of life and property kind.
Hope she didn't get a ticket.
Why would she get a ticket? She's 17, either has her permit or her license, and she wasn't taking the bus for a joyride. She was driving it out of harms way and preventing a serious collision, which could have ended up way more tragic.
If she only has her permit, then technically she'd still be ok because there was an adult on board, albeit he was having a heart attack, but he was still present.
If she has her license, then she did nothing illegal.
Driving isn't exactly rocket science.
Maybe not when you are sitting in the actual driver's seat with ACCESS to the brakes. But when you are driving over the back of a seat and cannot get to the brakes because a DEAD BODY is in the way, I think it would be pretty challenging and I have been driving since 1966.
Ruken.... no it isn't rocket science.
But consider she was standing behind the drivers seat with a dying man in front of her. Also, unless you've driven a school bus (I have) they aren't what one would consider to be "nimble" little cars. Give the kid credit. She could have sat there like many others would have done and just screamed "SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING" She DID do something and that's very laudable.
Not to take anything away from this girls deed. But, I would think that it would be a common reflex to take a hold of the wheel in a situation like this. I don't think you really need to think about it... Hmm... what should I do?
But good job kid.
What about access to the transmission or ignition? It's like the Toyota argument. Nothing stopping you from just killing the engine.
Agreed. Somebody's natural survival instinct kicked in? This is news!
Ruken,,,lost for words so i hope IDIOT will explain everything about you.
It kind of is when you're steering from a passenger seat and the dead driver preventing her from pressing the brake. I hope you feel better denigrating the actions of a child.
Sure thing. You sound more than qualified to explain it to me.
One of the things they teach you in driving school is that there is always more than one way to kill an engine. Actions of a child? She's 17. Forgive me for holding people to higher standards.
Neither is useless spam on a message board.
Seems you've violated your own assertion.
No it’s not, but taking action is. Fortunately she’s a private school student. Most public school kids would have just shot video of the bus crashing and burning. Great job young lady and way to think on the fly!
So let me get this straight.
You're saying private school kids would take action to save their own lives, but public school kids would let themselves die because it would make a great video and they might get on the news?
Don’t have to hit you with a brick, do they? What I’m really saying is that most of the public school kids I’m familiar with are so brain dead that the first thing they will do is grab their cell phone and start shooting video. The bus actually crashing will just seem like any other video game.
Because video games are real life now? Even the dumbest of the dumb I've encountered could distinguish real life and a virtual game, and consequences thereof.
With the generalizations you're making, you must be one of those "public school students".
somebody off their meds?
Home schooled. Generalizations are that for a reason.
That explains a lot actually.
Generalizations are like that for a reason? You know that's the same argument people use to justify racism.
Ruken: Turning the ignition off doesn't stop a vehicle immediately. As far as access to the transmission - she did just that when she shifted the bus into park (making it stop) - but, she couldn't do that until she turned it out of the way of oncoming traffic.
Exactly my point. A teenager did what she learned in drivers' education class.
It would be really gross if you got molested by your home school teacher!
Ruken - she had been driving a very short time. And, a lot of people - even adults - with that little experience would have paniced. She didn't and is to be commended. This was not just a natural reaction and not everyone would have done what she did. Why do you have to belittle a very brave act by a quick-thinking 17 year old?
Probably because I expect people to take action. It's not my fault people have exceedingly low expectations.
So Ruken,
Just out of curiousity, when was the last time that you did something that contributed to saving lives? I'm assuming with your non-low expectations you must be out saving at least one life a week.
Arent you human? That would make u one of the ones with exceedingly low expectations, right? Why talk down on something you yourself are claiming to be?
Apparently not, because my expectations were obviously too high when it comes to your reading comprehension.
It would seem to me that doing a u-turn in a bus in oncoming traffic (at what speed?) would be difficult and out of the norm for anyone without a CDL or bus driving experience... let alone a 17 year old whom just got her license. Give some credit superman!
Most 17y/o drivers are better drivers than those in their 40s and 50s. Your age argument is invalid.
Agreed Shenlee - that uturn sounds like a smart move, but not necessarily one many people would have tried. Her new driving status probably helped if this was something she remembered from training.
Well if you are stuck on semantics than replace "17yo" with anyone. How about people with a licesne for 2 weeks? While we are at it though i would like to see some empirical evidence about 17 vs 40-50 since you are so all-knowing. In addition to statistics some reasoning should be detailed as well (#17yo driving vs #40-50yo driving, #17yo with cdl, etc.). I would appreciate it! I presume no matter what anyone has to say you will negate it with some open-handed inflammatory response though.
A u-turn in a car vs a bus is pretty different!
Then Google it yourself.
I'm not "all knowing". I just know more than you.
Stress hormones can make common sense - and memory - go out the window. Considering this girl had just got her license and had likely never watched anyone die or had 36 lives in her hands before, she did a remarkable job just to keep a level head. Furthermore, a lot of adults with years of experience would have panicked upon realizing they couldn't just hit the brake pedal. It's easy to sit here and say you can just kill the engine or transmission, but in the heat of a stressful moment you don't always think of these things. True, it probably helps that she just completed driver's ed IF she took it, since you don't always have to.
Give the girl credit for keeping a level head and taking charge. In a similar situation, few people would be able to do the same.
highly doubtful if google is the source of all of your "knowledge". I will look into it for my own edification but must get back to work for the time being. Even without the age argument this was commendable... but i supose just an everyday thing for a keyboard warrior!
You need all the "edification" you can get.
What you are describing is the natural instinct called 'fight or flight'. All those that sit around and do nothing would choose to flee.
Followed your suggestion... seems the government websites agree with me thus far:
"In 2009, eight teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries. Per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash."
"Young people ages 15-24 represent only 14% of the U.S. population. However, they account for 30% ($19 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among males and 28% ($7 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among females."
"The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than among any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash"
"You need all the "edification" you can get." That right there was all the edification i needed to prove just how immature you are. Good day now, back to work.
To all the non-believers of God.....It is all about Faith. I will pray for all you haters out there! GOD BLESS YOU ALL and GOD BLESS AMERICA!
I disagree with the one who claims natural insticts would make someone grab the steering wheel. Maybe for someone who is an experienced driver, but not when your still wet behind the ears like this girl.
When I took drivers ed 15 years ago, the kid I had to ride with didn't even know he had to turn the wheel to make the car turn. When he pulled out of the school parking lot for the first time, we went straight for the bushes on the other side of the street, till the instructor slamed on his brakes. lol, what an idiot.
@Ruken, I don't know which drivers Education Course was available in your school. They are not trained in these courses to respond to anything besides road drift in responding to wet roads. There is no way any 15-19 year old (15-with driving permit might not be allowed in your state anymore) has more experience than anyone over 25 (which in addition to the information from @truth above) the Insurance Rate for anyone under 25 is very high priced in almost every circumstance.
an agnostic explained it earlier, She decided not to drive herself to school after a couple weeks of doing so.
She was at the right place, at the right time, with the right set of skills, yet we would sit here and argue that it was just plain luck.
Ruken, she still managed to steer the bus away from oncoming traffic. You're right though.. you sit at home and leave your two cents on some message board when you probably haven't done anything half as courageous in your life.
Good Job Graceann... Congratulations!!!!!
It's heartening to see teens taking positive actions to help not only themselves, but others as well!!!!
Amazing, not to many people would jump to action like that, she did what a lot of people would freeze up doing.
And God forbid most of these posters would praise her. Since she does not really drive, her driving instincts are almost non-existent. She is a quick thinking and brave girl. She did not, like some adults, whine about the entire thing. Some (even experienced drivers) would have just sat there screaming.
Good job, young lady.
and no comments yet about how Obama's school bus driving policies have corrupted America and only a Christian Conservative student saved the lives on the bus which would have been destroyed otherwise. Jeez people, step up your game!
All kidding aside, very well done young lady. Kudos to you!
Consider the comment made, jacka**.
Praise the LORD and no one gets hurt. Thank God through the Lord Jesus Christ that she responds in quick action and quick thinking. Thanks for saving herself and others.
But someone did get hurt--the driver. He died.
Everybody dies. Nobody can prevent that.
Unhappy, God COULD prevent someone from dying, assuming that a) he exists and b) is as powerful as Christians say he is.
GOD could prevent them from dying. Unfortunately, since that is all it would take for you to believe in Ressurection, Devildog and you would worship the act of REBIRTH, instead of the work of the Creator, Is exactly why it doesn't work that way. You have free will to choose how to make your comments to disparage or concur with the results of this little miracle.
It is appointed to all men (mankind) to die once. Our bodies far from perfect. We grow old, we grow infirm, and we die. The driver had a heart attack, and he passed on. Prayers to his family, as well as to all the families who had children on the bus.
This wasn't god. This was her brave actions, don't sprinkle a little Jesus into everything, thank this girl instead. I MEAN DO YOU SEE THE THEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? You're saying that apparently we do have an interventionist god, but he doesn't intervene on wars, famine, or poverty. NO he intervenes on a school bus that may have had a minor crash.
Your imaginary man had nothing to do with this.
Art of the moment Master BOB, art of the moment. Not everyone has the skills and is in the right place at the right time, but they seem to still rise to the occasion.
My imaginary man, as you say, regardless of your personal beliefs, Has intervened in many examples that I could spend hours showing you, and many real life examples that prove to me, that there is hope in MANKIND, beyond the evil selfish thoughts that WE seek.
I am grateful that Ms Rumer was there for those other children, and I am thankful for your opportunity to make an attempt at rebuttal against my personal beliefs. HE (the creator) does in fact intervene, or you would not have a hardened heart towards any disposition that there is something else in the world beyond anything that MANKIND can fathom.
Of course, not believing in Creation is a redundant oxymoron. a PARADOX. Life began without LIFE? Even if you believe in the cosmic blob that created all live as we know it on earth, What was there before that, since Time is eternal, and this Blog is about a Hero who was Touched by GOD, and through JESUS CHRIST, I will let you dwell on this. If CREATION (CREATOR-Intelligent Design) did not begin somewhere beyong our finite minds, Is there life at all?
(*beyong= beyond) Sorry for spelling error.
Great job,that was tough by anybody's standards,driving from behind the seat.
If that was me with only 2 weeks driving, every single one of them would be dead, and the driver would be dead twice over. Way to go young woman!
Too bad they did not have a CPR class in that school.
I think the first order of business was stopping the bus and saving the children. To do CPR, they would have had to move the bus driver from his crumpled over position - that might have been too hard even if they knew CPR.
How do you know that they don't have a CPR class in that school? And how do you know that no one performed CPR? All we really have to go on is what is in the article.
Good for her. She was obviously in the right place at the right time to not only save herself, but the other kids on the bus as well.
Well done.
Good girl!
Why do people want to detract from what this kid did!? She acted courageously and prevented what could have ended in a real tragedy. Celebrate that!
There are a lot of jerks on this message board. However I happen to think that is one squared away teen, well done girl!
School buses aren't that easy to drive, making a u-turn in a school bus (wow!), with her bus driver blocking the brake and her leaning over the seat to steer and stop the bus? And then only 2 weeks she's had her driver's license? Um yeah-she IS a hero! (Especially to all the parents of the children on the bus.) Awesome job!
Actually it does take a lot to A) not panic B) be cool enough to step over a body and gently guide a bus to a stop.
One panicky jerk of the wheel could have led them to disaster. So, yes, this girl who stay cool, calm and collected should be considered a hero, and I guarantee all of the kids parents on the bus will agree.
I also have to say that my dad is a school bus driver, and as all of his passengers are junior high kids with no driving experience, when he gets a new group of kids, he explains all of the bus features to them. That way if, God Forbid, something like this happened, they would know how to stop the bus and call for help. All you can hope for is one of the kids to be calm enough to get it done.
So the City of Brotherly Shove is not all bad
Of course, the religious and/ non-religious will get into a tizzy arguing about this.
But the fact remains that this kid had the cool to step in where she was needed and use her brains and save herself and the other kids as well as perhaps drivers and passengers of other cars on the road from injury and possible death.
Let's give credit where it belongs: Kudos to her parents for raising one smart-and-together sharp cookie!
Our school had a bus driver have a fatal heart attack returning from a field trip with an almost 2 hour drive. Fortunately, the bus was stopped at a rest area. I shudder to think what would have happened had they been on the freeway, though there were adults on the bus. Many school bus drivers are older. Maybe there should be an adult rider on school buses as well.
JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL !!!! the silly poster who struggles with freewill and god's indeterminite intervention would be better off discussing theogolical doctrine at religioustolerance.org. it really befuddles me why people fail to understand this basic foundation of this particular attribute of almighty god. it's simple, god uses people for his purposes. whether our actions comply with his plan or not.
This just in: you're supposed to capitalize 'God'.
I wouldn't waste my time debating doctrine with someone who doesn't even know that.
That is awesome. I am sad that they could not save the driver, but glad the kids were ok thanks to their hero!
Way to go girl!
She may have saved some lives. Takes a lot to stay calm and collected in a tough situation.
Good job Graceann! Way to keep your cool & prevent a potential tragedy beyond the poor driver passing. To all of you saying that she did it wrong or you would have done it better, different, etc, this young lady had minimal driving experience & look what she managed to do! It's so easy to point fingers but until you are in the situation you don't really know how you will react. As some others have stated above, even a season ADULT driver (yes-Graceann is still a child regardless of her age) could have very well freaked out & the outcome could have been very different. Stop being so miserable in your own lives & take some positivity away from this great little story. We need more good news in this world-no matter how small or trivial it may seem.
an inexperienced driver doing a great job! kudos to Rumer!