Driver Stops Bus To Help Man Falling Out Of Wheelchair On Icy Sidewalk

By: CNN

Posted: Dec 28, 2017 7:46 PM EDT

By CBS Boston Staff

MALDEN, Mass. (WBZ-TV) -- An MBTA driver is being hailed a hero after he stopped his bus to help a man in a wheelchair struggling with some ice.

Emil Hovanesian helped the man then quietly returned to the bus, but one of his passengers wanted to thank him in a very public way.

“I just thought it was really great that he stopped to help,” Felicia McEachern told WBZ-TV.

Hovanesian spotted the man at an intersection in Malden on Tuesday, slipping on ice with his grocery bags falling.

“I saw a person lying down on the ground, and he was screaming for help,” he said. “”I saw the wheelchair was sideways, so I pulled over, I secured the bus, and I ran over to help him.”

Another Good Samaritan helped the man back into his wheelchair, made sure he had his groceries and that he was okay, then they went back to their jobs.

In the age of discontent with MBTA delays, McEachern said she was happy to display the kind act.

“It doesn’t help that it’s Arctic temperatures right now, and of course there are delays and people are really frustrated, but I think it’s really nice that this guy saw the opportunity to do the right thing and he did.”

Hovanesian said, “I just want to let all the riders know that if your bus is running late, maybe the bus driver was trying to help somebody.”

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