In Minnesota, Ebro Ahmed Saves 19 Students Like This

In the incident that occurred on October 19 in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, 27‑year‑old Ebro Ahmed noticed a school bus moving with its door open while standing in front of his family's store. During the incident in the Dayton’s Bluff area, the bus driver was experiencing a situation requiring emergency medical intervention.

Noticing the situation, Ahmed ran to the moving bus without wasting any time and jumped onto the vehicle. The store's security cameras recorded the moments when Ahmed chased the bus and boarded it.

He had never used a bus before.

In attempting to gain control of the bus, Ahmed first tried to shift the gear lever into park, but accidentally shifted into reverse. Then, by pulling the handbrake, he managed to stop the bus.

Officials from Saint Paul State Schools confirmed that 19 students from Battle Creek Middle School were on the vehicle. Ahmed asked the children on the bus to notify police and emergency responders. It was reported that some of the students were frightened and cried.

The students were safely taken home.

Medical teams and police were dispatched to the scene. The students were later transferred to another bus that arrived and taken home. The school's mental health team also attended to students who might have been affected by the incident.

Authorities said that no students were injured in the incident. It was announced that the driver, who was taken to the hospital, was discharged and began resting at home.

Ahmed was awarded a $1,000 prize.

Ahmed's intervention received wide coverage in the local press. Local media producer and philanthropist Sheletta Brundidge visited Ahmed at the store where she works on October 22 and awarded him a $1,000 prize.

Ahmed said that while describing what happened, he saw intervention as a humanitarian responsibility. Emphasizing that the safety of children was at stake, Ahmed said, "Even if I died, it was worth it. After all, the children were the ones concerned."

"Grey’s Anatomy" helped him stay calm.

Ahmed said that the TV series Grey's Anatomy also helped him remain calm during emergencies. He explained that watching doctors act without panic in crisis moments inspired him.

Ahmed, who is of Eritrean origin and grew up in St. Paul, said that while evaluating the attention he received after the incident, he thought everyone would try to help in a similar situation. Ahmed plans to use the award he received while continuing to work at his family's store to develop his own venture.