Key Takeaways

• Ebro Ahmed stopped a moving Minnesota school bus after its driver suffered a medical emergency.
• Ahmed credited “Grey’s Anatomy” with helping him stay calm despite lacking bus-driving experience.
• All 19 students were unharmed, and the school bus driver is recovering at home.

Sometimes, staying calm under pressure can make all the difference. Just ask Ebro Ahmed, whose quick thinking turned a frightening afternoon in Minnesota into a story with a surprisingly familiar television connection.

On Monday (Oct. 19), the 27-year-old noticed a school bus moving through St. Paul's Dayton's Bluff neighborhood with its doors open and lights flashing. According to CBS News, the vehicle was traveling about 10 mph when Ahmed realized something wasn't right. “When he drove past me, it really shook me,” he told the outlet. “I was like, 'What is going on?'”

Surveillance footage captured Ahmed running toward the vehicle and climbing aboard, where he discovered the driver experiencing a medical crisis.

How did Ebro Ahmed stop a moving school bus during the driver's medical emergency?

Despite reportedly never having driven a bus, the good Samaritan immediately tried to take control. His first attempt didn't go as planned. “I saw the bus driver obviously having a medical emergency,” he explained. “All I looked at was the gear control, and I was trying to put it into park.”

He continued, “I started hearing beeps, and we were going backwards. And then I said, 'That is not right,' and I threw it into neutral and pulled the [parking] brake.”

Once the vehicle stopped, Ahmed turned around and saw the frightened passengers. “When I looked behind me, I saw all of the kids kind of a little scared, crying with their phones out, getting ready to call the police,” he added.

Ahmed also told CBS News that his favorite medical drama TV series helped shape his approach to the unexpected situation, even though he has no medical training. “In 'Grey's Anatomy,' you never see doctors panic. I know it is all acting and stuff, so I just knew to be calm and just think everything through,” he said.

Saint Paul Public Schools confirmed that 19 Battle Creek Middle School students were aboard. None were injured, and another bus arrived to take them home. The district later reported that the driver had been released from the hospital and was recovering at home.

As for whether he considers himself a hero, Ahmed kept his response humble: “I feel like any person in my situation would have done the same thing.”