Bus driver hailed hero after spotting five-year-old girl walking on her own down New York City street
An MTA bus driver is being hailed a hero after spotting a little girl walking the streets of New York City alone.
Luis Jimenez, 60, was wrapping up his morning shift when something caught his fatherly eye – a five-year-old girl walking on the sidewalk by herself near 160th and Broadway on Tuesday afternoon.
‘We have a saying in the MTA – if you see something, say something,’ Jimenez told ABC 7.
‘Well with me, I will do something,’ he added with a smile.
Veteran MTA bus driver, Luis Jimenez, 60, is being called a hero after he spotted a five-year-old girl walking alone with her school bag still in hand
The little girl had skipped school after her fish died with a plan to get to a pet store and get herself a new pet fish
The Harlem resident kept his eye on her through his front window for about a block before ultimately deciding to pull over, call his dispatcher and have a passenger phone 911.
And with the help of the other riders, Jimenez was able to get the little girl, with a school bag still in hand – on the bus safely.
Her school had reported the kindergartener missing after she didn’t show up to class.
Although she didn’t have any prior history of missing school, she had a different plan for that particular day – skipping out to go to a pet store.
The little girl’s fish had recently died and she was on her way to replace her beloved pet.
The five-year-old had walked already walked ten blocks away from the safety of her school grounds before Jimenez spotted her.
Thankfully, he decided to work that morning after initially considering calling out sick.
Jimenez said that his fatherly instincts took over, and he kept an eye on the child for about a block after first initially spotting her
Jimenez ultimately decided to pull the bus over near 160 and Broadway while he called dispatch and had another rider phone 911
His instincts quickly kicked in and he was able to get the child into the right hands and back to her family safely.
‘My instinct as a father came on because if I see a kid in the street in need of help, I would want somebody to help one of my children or one of my grandkids,’ he said.
The veteran bus driver is approaching his 26 year as a NYC transit employee, working 6am to 4pm on different routes, constantly meeting new people throughout the big apple.
Born and raised in the city, specifically in Washington Heights, Jimenez is said to treat each of his riders like they’re simply an old friend.
‘He always tries to make all the customers feel good when he’s driving,’ one of his riders told CBS News in 2021.
And this isn’t the first time he’s been recognized for his hard work and positive attitude.
When the pandemic shut down the hustling and bustling streets of New York City in 2021, he knew that it was his duty to get the essential workers to and from their jobs each day.
He worked 12-hour shifts, month after month as the virus continued to spread.
Jimenez is approaching his 26 year as a New York City transit worker and is said to treat every one of his riders as if they’re his neighbor
But his dedication to the people of the city was recognized, and he was one of the essential workers chosen by the NFL and CBS Sports to be featured in the Super Bowl Pregame Show.
‘New York don’t stop,’ he told CBS News. ‘We move New York. If we stop, New York Stops.’
‘At the time when I was needed, I was able to say that ‘I’m here.”
Just last year, New York Liberty, a professional American basketball team based in the city and Brooklyn, celebrated Black History Month on their YouTube channel by spotlighting different ticket members who directly impact the Black community – one of them being Jimenez.
He talked about his passion of transporting people from all walks of life and the joy he spreads throughout the community.
He was also recognized on New York Liberty’s YouTube channel during Black History Month where he shared his passion for his work
And when he clocks out of his MTA shift, he hangs up his uniform and goes to dance for the Timeless Torches – a dance team for the WNBA’s New York Liberty for men and women over 40 years old.
‘Driving in New York City, it’s like a perfect day. I open up that door, and it’s like the world comes to me. I love my passengers. I want to give them the best ride, the best time, the best view of the city while I get them to where they’re going,’ he told The Art Of Doing.
‘That ride, that’s my gift to them. Wherever they’re from, they can take that home with them from New York City. I tell my kids, you gotta love what you do.’
As for the little girl, it is still unclear if she was able to get her new pet fish.
But Jimenez said that if she didn’t, he and the community should help her out in that aspect as well.
‘Times are hard and there’s things happening every day, and every day we got 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.’
