REVERE, MASS. (WHDH) - An MBTA bus driver is being praised for stopping to help a 10-year-old girl who he spotted wandering alone in the middle of Route 1 in Revere on Tuesday.
Michael Clooney was driving the Route 116 bus about 5:20 p.m. Tuesday when Chelsea police put out a description of a young girl who had been reported missing, according to an MBTA spokesman.
Less than an hour later, Clooney spotted a girl matching the description walking in the middle of the highway on North Shore Road, stopped to pick her up, and confirmed that she was the child who had been reported missing earlier in the night.
The 10-year-old told police that she fell asleep on the bus that she usually takes home from school and missed her usual stop.
After giving the girl some water, Clooney continued to Wonderland, where he turned her over to police.
“I’m on this road every day so the fact that he took the time to stop is incredible because no one ever stops here for anything,” said Jen McCarthy, mother of a child around the same age. “So, that is a pretty observant bus driver.”
In a statement, MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said, “As Mike reminded us this week, staying alert and attentive at all times is what makes a good bus operator.”
Police say they are working with the girl’s parents and school officials to determine future transportation options.
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