Quick-thinking bus driver lauded as hero after rescuing young girl who wandered onto 5-lane road

SINGAPORE — Working days for SBS Transit bus driver Ong Shi Chuin, 57, have tended to be fairly routine over his seven years driving around the same area, besides the occasional requests for directions from passengers.

Then, one Sunday earlier this year, Mr Ong was jolted into action when he spotted a girl, who looked to be under the age of five, wandering barefoot onto a busy five-lane roadway along Marina Boulevard. 

Recounting the incident to TODAY in an interview on Wednesday (April 13), he said: "At around 7pm, I was driving bus service 400, then when I stopped at the bus stop... Luckily, it was a red light, then I stopped and I saw a little girl just running to me on the third lane.

"I was shocked, and was thinking, 'What happened to this little girl?'" 

His first thought as he sat at a red traffic light? Get this girl to safety quickly before the light turned green. 

The father-of-two said: "If I want this little girl to be safe, she needs to be on the bus."

He quickly activated the handbrake, opened the door, checked for traffic, before taking the girl onto the bus.

Minutes later, her frantic father was directed to Mr Ong's bus, where he was reunited with the daughter. The girl had apparently wandered off from a nearby playground.

Mr Ong said: "The father and domestic helper came to my bus and pointed at the little girl and said, 'That's my kid', before thanking me." 

The driver added that this was the most bizarre thing that he has experienced while on the job. 

It happened in January this year, but the incident received some attention online after SBS Transit posted about it on Tuesday.

There were more than 980 reactions and 133 shares for the post in a day, with comments lauding Mr Ong a "hero". 

One online user named "Chun Chew" commented that SBS Transit "should reward him for his bravery and heroism. Well done". 

Another online user Yvonne Lim wrote that Mr Ong's quick thinking had helped save "a precious life". 

Since then, the bus driver has received numerous text messages from colleagues and friends, all praising his response.

"Quite surprisingly, this news spread very fast and people messaged me to ask me what happened, so I just explained to them what happened. I don't think I am a hero but this is a bus captain's duty," he added. 

Mr Ong's children, both in their 20s, were extremely proud, even sharing articles about their father on social media channels. 

"I think I was the most happy when my son and daughter shared (the news) and said, 'This is my father'," he said with a hearty laugh. 

However, Mr Ong has not been able to meet the girl or her family since the incident. 

"If the parents come to me, the first thing I want to do is to take a photograph with the little girl because she was so cute," he said with another laugh.