MANCHESTER – Part of the way through his afternoon route on Thursday, bus driver Tony Annese realized he wasn’t feeling well, and pulled to the side of the road. As he radioed dispatchers for help, the Memorial students on the bus also jumped into action.
Sophomores Jadiel Mota and Rajahn Carrero said that it was a pretty normal afternoon, though they recognized that Annese, their regular bus driver, was moving slower than usual. When the driver pulled over, students were confused, but after Annese told dispatchers he needed a medic, students jumped in to help.
“Personally, I’ve seen this sort of thing happen before, so immediately, I just moved up,” Mota said. “I’m like, ‘alright, he needs a medic,’ so I got on the radio and tried to communicate our exact location to the district.”
Carrero said after seeing Mota jump into action, he was scared but realized that he had the ability to help, thanks to his participation in Manchester Fire Department’s Junior Fire Explorers program. Carrero said he was trying to keep the driver calm as he evaluated the situation. He quickly realized that Annese hadn’t eaten enough that day and called to his classmates for food and water.
“I really wanted to help this man, and I did the best I could,” Carrero said, adding that he and Mota just played a part. “The whole bus should get a shout-out, because without them helping, calling 911, getting the food and water, this situation would have been different.”
Annese was evaluated and treated for dehydration, and he hopes to return to his route Monday. He thanked Carrero and Mota, but also echoed Carrero’s sentiment that the entire bus deserved praise.
“Those two should be highlighted but I can also appreciate the rest of the bus, because they didn’t panic or jump around – they stayed calm,” Annese said. “It probably would have made my situation worse if everyone was panicking.”
Mota said the entire situation was a good reminder that there is good in the community.
“It really only takes one person to step up to make a positive change,” he said. “At first, everyone was sort of frozen, so I was just moving on instinct, and I think once they saw that, they were all ready to help. That’s a very heart-warming thing for me.
Annese agreed with that sentiment.
“Everybody focuses on the negativity in this city and they don’t focus on all the good things that happen,” he said. “Especially with kids, there’s a focus on the negative, but it’s not all like that.”
Manchester Fire Chief Ryan Cashin said the students' actions made a big impact.
"These students deserve praise for their response in what must have been a stressful situation," Cashin said. "They didn't panic and kept the bus driver calm and alert until first responders arrived on the scene. Thankfully this situation was not more serious, but these students responded appropriately and helped ensure things didn't escalate."
Superintendent of Schools Jennifer Chmiel said the district is relieved that Annese is OK and praised the students for their efforts.
“We appreciate the driver’s quick thinking in pulling the vehicle over when he realized he wasn’t feeling well,” Chmiel said. “We couldn’t be more proud of Rajahn, Jadiel and the entire bus for jumping into action and doing what was needed to make sure their bus driver got the help he needed. I think that we all hope that we would respond with such calm and grace if we were faced with a situation like this. We are extremely grateful for their efforts.”
Chmiel said the District plans to recognize the students at an upcoming Board of School Committee meeting. Carrero said the experience has crystalized a potential career path once he’s done with his schooling.
“It made me feel that maybe I really can be a firefighter or an EMT, because I just helped this man out and after that I feel like I can do so much more,” he said. “It’s a great feeling, really.”