Jeremy Rice, ninth grader, averts bus crash...when driver falls out of seat

Colorado Springs ninth grader Jeremy Rice is being declared a hero for quick-thinking action that prevented the crash of a bus carrying more than a dozen other students. Still, the circumstances as described by the Colorado Springs Police Department are mighty weird...

By Michael Roberts

August 30, 2012

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Colorado Springs ninth grader Jeremy Rice is being declared a hero for quick-thinking action that prevented the crash of a bus carrying more than a dozen other students.

Still, the circumstances as described by the Colorado Springs Police Department are mighty weird.

Yesterday morning, according to the CSPD police blotter, the driver of a Colorado Springs Early College bus with seventeen students on board was turning left from southbound Chelton Road to eastbound Platte Avenue when a trash can started to tip over.

Rather than letting it spill, the driver tried to grab the container before it toppled. Problem is, his seat belt had somehow come unlatched -- so as he leaned for the rubbish, he fell out of his seat into the stairwell and "could not get up quickly," the account notes. As a result, the bus began drifting across the dirt median into an oncoming lane of traffic.

Thank goodness for Jeremy. The driver is said to have called for someone to pull the emergency brake, and Rice, who was first ID'd by the Colorado Springs Gazette, managed to do so quickly enough to avert disaster. As the CSPD points out, " No vehicles or objects were struck. No injuries occurred. No accident investigation was required. No traffic citations were issued."

Might be a good idea to check that seat belt, though. And next time, pal, just let the trash can tip over -- because Jeremy Rice won't always be there to help.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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