An RTA coach operator is being praised for saving a customer who was in danger of being hit by a car.
During one recent afternoon, Selamawit Bean was driving her Route 19 in Moreno Valley when she welcomed aboard an elderly man who appeared to be lost and confused. Without hesitation, Selamawit asked the customer if he needed any help getting to his destination.
He wasn’t sure.
As the customer dialed his phone to reach his family, Selamawit asked if she could lend a hand.
After speaking to his family, she determined that the man was on the wrong bus. On a piece of paper, she jotted down directions for the man to follow to get to his destination.
That’s when things got interesting.
Knowing the customer needed to transfer to another route, the coach operator informed the man to exit the bus at the next stop, safely cross the street and catch the Route 18.
The bus stopped, the man exited and instead of taking the crosswalk, he began walking down the middle of the busy street. Selamawit quickly exited the bus, ran in the street, and rescued the man before he got hit.
Thanks to Selamawit’s quick thinking, her customer was safely reunited with his family.
Selamawit said her actions were just part of the job.
"This is something any other coach operator would have done," she said. "I was just glad that he didn't get hurt and he was able to get home safely."
