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A Lucky Brake

Talk about a real-life hero! On October 3, 10-year-old Larry Champagne III from St. Louis, Missouri, hit the brakes on a runaway school bus. He saved himself and 20 other kids on board from disaster.

It all happened in one big, scary flash. On the way to school the bus driver, Ernestine Blackman, suddenly blacked out and slumped over the steering wheel. The bus started swaying, banging into the guardrails. The other kids started to scream. But Larry ran to the front and stopped the bus.

"At first I thought, 'We're gonna die,'" says Larry. "But after I pressed the brake, I felt safe."

Larry's speedy reaction made news all over the country. He appeared on TV shows as a hero. The bus company gave Larry a $100 gift certificate to spend at Toys R Us. And his school hung a medal of honor around his neck.

"My grandmother always tells me to do what's right," says Larry. He gives credit to his brother Jerrick, 9, who "helped me get the bus driver up" during the emergency. Now the driver, who had a circulation problem called a stroke, is recovering.

How did he know how to stop the bus? Larry is something of a mechanic. He helps his grandfather work on his old truck. "He gets his hands dirty," says his grandfather. One thing is for certain: Larry knows where to find the brakes.

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Have you ever faced an emergency like Larry did? How can kids prepare for scary situations?

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