"I just feel like a regular person. I'm no hero," said teen who helped stop a school bus after drive suffered medical emergency.
Approximately 28 students were on the out-of-control bus. (File photo) BRIDGEWATER -- Angelo Mel-tos said he doesn't feel like a hero, but the more than two dozen other students on an out-of-control school bus might feel otherwise.
Mel-tos, 18, and Gavin Costello, 15, both from Plainfield, worked together to stop their school bus on Wednesday morning when the bus driver suffered a medical emergency while driving the students to school from North Plainfield to Somerset County Vocational and Technical School in Bridgewater.
"I just feel like a regular person," said Mel-tos. "I'm no hero. There are a lot of other people who have done more important things than me. I was excited to help the bus driver out before the situation got even worse."
The school bus was a little bit late on Wednesday morning and the bus driver, whose name hasn't been released, was someone Mel-tos had never seen. The bus, carrying approximately 28 students, according to Mel-tos, was traveling on Route 22 West at 7:35 a.m. when the driver missed the North Bridge Street exit and the drama began to unfold.
"At first, I was thinking he didn't know the route," said Mel-tos. "But then we were trying to talk to him and he won't respond. Gavin pulled out a map and tried to give the bus driver directions but he wouldn't listen."
"Then, he started making grunt noises like he was trying to communicate, but he couldn't."
Mel-tos said the bus then began swerving from lane to lane as it headed west on Route 22 towards Branchburg. It was about to run a red light near Country Road when Costello grabbed the emergency brake and then put the bus in park. Mel-tos turned off the ignition, he said.
As the pair tried to assist the bus driver other students on the bus had began to panic a little but it "wasn't to the point where they were screaming for their lives," said Mel-tos. "I think some of them didn't realize what was going on."
Once the bus stopped in the middle of an intersection, Mel-tos said he opened the door and told all the students to get out. He said the bus driver didn't move or say anything. He said he thinks the driver may have suffered some sort of "shock."
Mel-tos the called the police. He said a motorist who saw the bus swerving had also called the police.
The bus driver was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Somerset in Somerville where he is listed in stable condition. He declined to comment when contacted by New Jersey Advance Media.
"I was a little scared throughout the whole thing, but I kept calm," said Mel-tos. "I didn't panic. Gavin and I just wanted to get the bus driver to go to the side of the road. I'm just glad I was able to help."
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.