A student with the La Joya Independent School District is being credited with helping save 18 other students during a Thursday bus ride home.

The students at Juarez Lincoln High School were on a bus driven by 60-year-old Jesus Garcia, who suffered a medical emergency behind the wheel, according to La Joya ISD Police Chief Raul Gonzalez.

The bus ended up crashing through a fence on school property.

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Gonzalez said a female student was able to grab the wheel and hit the brakes.

“They could see that the bus veered off the road, so that is why our female student immediately took action,” Gonzalez said. “It's important to know that because of her actions, we prevented this incident from being more tragic."

Garcia was hospitalized following the crash, where he was pronounced dead, Gonzalez said.

Garcia worked at the district for eight years, and he had a special bond with the students he drove home, Gonzalez said, adding that students never left his side during the incident.

“Until personnel arrived, they were comforting [Garcia],” Gonzalez said. “They were letting him know that he was going to be OK, they were doing everything they could within their means to make sure to help them out as best as they could."

Additional counselors were at the campus Friday for students and staff.