Bus driver hailed as hero for saving young child wandering alone on busy street

A quick-thinking bus driver is receiving praise for springing into action after she spotted a young child wandering alone and barefoot in the middle of a busy street in Florida.

Barbara Baker, a driver and grandmother, stopped her bus on Route 12 in Tampa just after 7 a.m. on Aug. 31 to help the child, who was wearing pajamas, according to video posted by the Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART) on Wednesday.

"Oh my God," Baker can be heard saying in video footage that was taken from inside the bus. "Look at the baby out there by himself." 

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She stopped the bus and hurried out its front door to help the child.

"Come here, baby," she told the little boy before scooping up the child, who by then had made his way to the side of the road. 

The boy was unable to communicate where his home was, so Baker returned to the bus with him in her arms.

"Give me one second, please," she told the passengers aboard her bus as she called HART operations and waited for the police to come.

"Mama," the boy can be heard saying in the video. His age was not immediately clear. 

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Baker held him on her hip and continued to speak soothingly to him while they waited for help.

After knocking on doors in the neighborhood, police found the mother of the child within 20 minutes of the incident. The family lived 2½ blocks away from where the child was found, according to HART.

In an interview with HART following the incident, Baker said her "heart dropped" as soon as she saw the boy in the street.

"When the police came, it's like I almost wanted to cry because I thought about my grandbabies, and I'm like, 'Oh, cars [are] passing, and nobody is helping this baby in the road." 

Baker said that just recalling the incident made her emotional. 

"But knowing that the baby is home - that's a big thing for me," she said.

In the video posted on Facebook, HART lauded Baker, saying, "Transit workers do more than drive - they safeguard the community every mile of the way."

In a statement, HART's CEO, Scott Drainville, said, "Operator Baker's courage and attentiveness exemplify the dedication and heart that define our team."

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Operators are trained to stay vigilant and remain "situationally aware" for lost children, human trafficking and more, according to the agency.

In the interview with HART, Baker said she first started working for the agency in 2005 before leaving to drive trucks. She then returned in 2012, working there for the last 14 years.

Social media users joined in applauding her. "You're a true hero, Ms. Baker!" one woman wrote on Facebook. 

"You are indeed what we need more of - unselfish, caring individuals who care about their community," said another.