Quick-thinking bus driver saves toddler
Peter Sang has been driving Metro buses for five years, but he had never seen anything on his route quite like the sight he saw on the night of Aug. 18.
Sang was driving Route 358 southbound at about 10:30 p.m. on busy Aurora Avenue North in Shoreline, when he saw something in the road ahead. For a quick minute, he thought maybe it was an animal – but then shockingly realized it was a small child in the middle of his lane. Luckily, he was able to slam on the brakes and bring the 30,000-pound coach to a stop before hitting the little boy.
Sang grabbed the 2½ year-old boy, put him on the bus and called the police. Officers from the Shoreline Police Department responded, and took custody of the little guy. He was wearing only a yellow “onesie” and a diaper. They took him to the Shoreline precinct, and bought him juice and fresh diapers.
About 3:45 a.m., police received a frantic call from the toddler's parents. They live in an apartment a block west of Aurora, and woke up to find their son Jesse missing. When they went to bed around 9:30 p.m. that evening, all the doors were shut and locked. However, the back sliding door has a loose lock. They surmise Jesse got up without waking anyone, unlocked the back door, and off he went.
The police department and Metro supervisors are praising Sang for his quick thinking in averting what could have been a serious tragedy for little Jesse.
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