A veteran MTA bus driver is being called a hero for taking action after spotting a 5-year-old girl wandering the streets of Manhattan alone.
Luis Jimenez, 60, said he knew something was wrong when he noticed the girl on the Upper West Side sidewalk during his morning shift at Crosstown M116 last month.
“I developed a fatherly instinct because if I saw a child in need on the street, I would want someone to help my child or one of my grandchildren.” Jimenez told ABC 7 New York.
Jimenez considered calling out sick that day, but was thankful he hadn't when he spotted the girl running off the sidewalk alone into the street near 106th Street West Broadway.
“My wife always seems to worry about me because when I see something, it's like the MTA saying, 'If you see something, say something.' Because I know that.”
“Oh, yeah, let's try something with me,” he told the media.
Jimenez said he kept an eye on the girl for about a block before telling one of his passengers to call 911.
Surveillance footage from the bus obtained by the ABC showed passengers staring out the windows, worried as the girl wandered on nearby sidewalks.
Jimenez then stopped the bus, loaded the girl with the help of a passenger, and waited for police to arrive.
Other footage showed the girl quickly walking alone on the sidewalk before being helped onto a bus by an adult.
Authorities said the girl snuck out of the school and made it 10 blocks away. The school reported her missing.
Once police arrived, the girl was able to be reunited with her family.
Authorities said the girl had no history of running away from school, but her pet fish had just died and she left home that day to go to the pet store to buy a new one.
Jimenez said she hopes the girl gets a new pet, adding, “If she doesn't get one, we should try to help and get one for her.” ” he added.
“These are tough times and there's a lot going on every day. We have to approach each day with a positive attitude and be able to do that, even though there's a lot of negativity going on around the world. “We have to move forward and make changes,” he said.
