Brainerd Student Radios for Help After Bus Driver Has Medical Emergency

A bus driver suffered a medical emergency on Tuesday shortly after 3 p.m. while transporting students from Riverside Elementary in Brainerd to a transfer stop.

According to the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office, several students noticed that the 74-year-old bus driver, whose name has not been released, was heading in the wrong direction. One of the 30 children on board used the bus radio to request assistance.

The broadcast went to other buses in the area, who then called law enforcement and EMS. The driver had pulled off of County Road 45 and let the children exit the bus, and then continued driving on his own.

“[The driver] was … at a store and was loading some stuff up in the back of his truck, and [he] fell out of his truck and hit his head on the on the ground,” explained Crow Wing County Sheriff Eric Klang. “There were some employees that came around to try to offer assistance and stuff. And he said, ‘No, I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong. I’m OK.'”

Klang continued, “At that time, [he] left the parking lot and went to pick up his bus. And during that time, you know, through my experience, [it was] most likely maybe a brain bleed or something like that that was happening because of him hitting his head. And once we made contact with the driver, it was immediately apparent that he was in some type of medical crisis.”

According to Sheriff Klang, the driver was flown out to a trauma center, and although full details have yet to be released, his medical condition is said to be serious. No children were harmed during the incident.