An MTA driver is being hailed a hero after helping a 5-year-old girl during his bus route last month on the Upper West Side.
Luis Jimenez, 60, said his instinct as a father kicked in when he noticed the young girl walking alone during his M116 route near 106th and Broadway.
Jimenez told ABC 7 New York he knew something wasn’t right when he saw the girl darting from the sidewalk into the street alone.
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The bus driver, who had considered calling in sick that Tuesday in September, kept an eye on the child, and decided he needed to take action.
He instructed passengers to call 911, and with the help of the riders, got the girl on the bus and waited for the police to arrive.
Police were able to reunite the girl with her family safely.
Authorities say the girl had traveled ten blocks after slipping out of school. The school had reported her missing when she did not come to class.
According to reports, the girl did not have a history of running away, but her pet goldfish had recently died and she was going to the pet store to buy a new one.
Jimenez wasn’t sure if the girl got a new goldfish, but hoped she did.
He told ABC 7 New York, “Times are hard and there’s things happening every day, and every day we have to come in with a positive attitude and be able to, even though it’s negative all over the world going on, we have to go ahead and make a difference.”
On top of being an MTA bus driver, Jimenez is also a member of the New York Liberty dance team, The Timeless Torches, and performed during this week’s finals, according to the New York Post. The Timeless Torches are a “dance group consist[ing] of men and women over the age of 40 who want to share their love of performance with the New York Liberty crowd!” according to the group’s website.
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The driver told the New York Post in 2013 that his side hustle helped him stay limber for the job as a bus driver and equated it to a “fountain of youth.”
This is not the first time Jimenez has been honored for his work with the MTA. He was among a group of essential workers honored by the NFL prior to Super Bowl LV for his commitment during the coronavirus pandemic, according to CBS New York. Jimenez told the outlet in 2021 that he worked 12-hour shifts during the pandemic and that he treats each passenger like a neighbor. He said his favorite part of the job is picking up regular customers.
“New York don’t stop. We move New York. If we stop, New York stops,” Jimenez said.
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Kudos to the alert and proactive driver!
Note to editor, why is the 5 year old referred to in the article as an “adolescent?”
Same question—a 5 year old isn’t an adolescent.