Watch CBS News

How police stopped runaway school bus

The driver had a medical emergency
How Minnesota police stopped a runaway school bus 01:30

Eleven Minnesota children became trapped in a runaway school bus Wednesday when the driver had a medical emergency. They were in danger for 14 minutes before police were able to act, reports CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano.

The routine trip home at the end of the school day took a turn when the driver began to swerve, catching the attention of a sheriff's deputy.

"She thought 'Something's not right,' and then she was turning the lights on trying to stop, but then the weaving became more pronounced," Sheriff Scott Turner said.. "She first saw the vehicle weave within its lane a little bit."

The driver continued swerving down the road at about 40 mph, eventually losing control of the vehicle and tipping into a ditch. Somehow, the bus made its way back onto the road, when officers say the deputy following the bus alerted oncoming traffic.

"She was getting around the bus into the opposite lane to alert vehicles that were ahead of the bus that there was some problem on the roadway there to get them to get out of the way," Turner said.

Children on board with cell phones began calling their families and 911 to alert them that something was wrong. At one point, another driver passing had to switch in reverse, pulling into a driveway to avoid a head-on collision with the bus.

Using stop-sticks, officers were able to stop the vehicle in its tracks. The 68-year-old-driver was rushed to the hospital and none of the children on board were injured.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.