Full Breakdown
Heroic Bystander Stops Runaway School Bus in St. Paul
By Drooid · · How we work
The Incident
On a Monday afternoon in St. Paul’s Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood, 27-year-old store clerk Ebro Ahmed noticed a school bus rolling past his family’s corner store, Ya Bricks Snacks & Tobacco, with its passenger doors open. Surveillance video captured Ahmed sprinting toward the vehicle, climbing aboard, and halting it while the driver appeared to be experiencing a medical emergency. Ahmed shifted the transmission into reverse, then to neutral and pulled the parking brake, stopping the bus in under 15 seconds. No injuries were reported among the 19 middle-school students, and the driver was transported to a hospital before being released to recover at home.
Community Recognition and Reward
Local media maker Sheletta Brundidge organized a surprise ceremony at the store, presenting Ahmed with a $1,000 check and a costumed “Superman” performer. Ahmed said he intends to invest the money in a window-tinting venture. The Human Development Fund also awarded him a Humanitarian Hero Award.
Official Responses
St. Paul Public Schools confirmed paramedics responded, the driver was taken to a hospital and later released, and students were transferred to another bus before being sent home. The district’s mental-health team checked in with the children the following day. The incident falls under Minnesota’s Good Samaritan statute (Statute 604A.01), which provides civil immunity to bystanders who render emergency aid in good faith.
On-the-Ground Accounts
Ahmed recounted the moment he saw the bus:
- “It caught me by surprise because I was kind of confused about the door open.”
- “So then I ran towards the bus and noticed he was having an emergency so I just hopped on there.”
He handed his phone and glasses to two front-row students to free his hands.
Data & Statistics
- Students on board: reports vary between 18, 19, and “nearly 20.”
- Reward: $1,000 cash gift.
- Time to stop the bus: under 15 seconds.
- Driver’s condition: hospitalized, later released to rest at home.
Why It Matters
The episode highlights the role of ordinary citizens in emergencies and underscores the protections offered by Minnesota’s Good Samaritan law. It also sparked community support for Ahmed, an Eritrean-American Muslim, noting positive visibility for East African and Muslim residents in the Twin Cities.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the exact number of children aboard: ABC News and Fox 9 cite 19 students, the Daily Dispatch mentions 18, while other outlets refer to “nearly 20.” No source provides a detailed medical assessment of the driver’s condition beyond his release to recover at home.
Verbatim Quotes
- “When he drove past me it really shook me. I was like, what is going on?” — Ebro Ahmed
- “Not all superheroes wear capes; some are store clerks.” — Sheletta Brundidge
- “I really felt like it was my duty.” — Ebro Ahmed