A C-TRAN bus driver met her champions Tuesday night, thanking two passengers for stepping up during a medical emergency.
Bryanne Brady and Josh Stark are “heroes without capes,” according to Michelle Smith.
In July, Smith was driving her bus when she was struck by a seizure.
Brady and Stark, who knew of each other because they were often on the same bus but did not really know each other, immediately took action.
“It would have been easy to freeze, or to assume someone else would act. Instead, in a frightening situation and under real pressure, they chose to help a stranger and the people around them,” said Annette Shaw, chief operating officer, during the C-TRAN Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday.
C-TRAN awarded Brady and Stark the C-TRAN Award of Gratitude.
“Bryanne and Josh showed what it means to look out for one another, and we are proud that they are part of our community,” Shaw said.
Brady and Stark were taken aback from the attention. Brady said she could not imagine not helping in such a situation.
Still, it was quite an ordeal. The bus they were riding in was moving, and the driver lost consciousness.
“I’ve been through emergencies before, but still, it’s very hard to calmly go through trying to save a life,” Stark said. “You don’t know what’s going on. It’s scary.”
“You don’t believe what’s happening is happening because you don’t expect that to happen,” Brady said.
Stark got to Smith first. Brady called 9-1-1. Their initial priority was Smith.
Oh, but that large vehicle was still on the move. The bus would go up on a curb. Stopped momentarily. Then started moving again.
Stark got behind the wheel.
“Lots of buttons,” Stark said when he first assessed the situation from the driver’s area.
“There was a lot to look at, and it was very helpful that the dispatch team was able to walk me through what each thing was,” Stark explained. “There are several knobs that said on/off. I didn’t know which.”
Smith, by the way, has no memory of the incident. She had never experienced a seizure. Smith would later see videos of the emergency taken from cameras located in the bus.
“I can’t express the gratitude … of what they did for me,” Smith said. “Seeing how calm and patient she was. She was very, very good with me while I was on the ground. You could tell he was nervous and trying to figure things out, but he was right on top of it. He pulled me up, making sure I was breathing the whole time. Him jumping into that seat when he saw the bus rolling again. He jumped right into action. He did everything he could to make sure everyone was safe. She was there making sure I was OK.
“In a world where some people just walk by nowadays and don’t jump into action, these two showed that they cared, and jumped right into it.”
When it was all over, Brady and Stark were kind of in shock.
“We just stood there, taking it in,” Brady said.
During the presentation for the awards, Shaw also credited the C-TRAN dispatch team for its professionalism, working with Brady and Stark during Smith’s emergency.
Smith has been a bus driver for 14 years, including seven with C-TRAN. Her career as a driver is over, she said, after being diagnosed with epilepsy. Still, she loves her “work” family and is hoping to find another role at C-TRAN.
She also had one more message for Brady and Stark.
“I’m glad C-TRAN recognized you, and I’m so glad I got to finally meet you two,” Smith said. “There are not enough thank yous I can give you that you deserve.”
Comments
Loading comments…