After finishing his afternoon route on Sept. 10, 20-year student transportation veteran Julio Ospina saw a young child walking along the roadway wearing a harness. He immediately relied on his training and intuition.
Ospina, a two-year driver for Wylie ISD located northeast of Dallas, stopped the bus and contacted authorities. He soon learned the child had been reported missing from a neighboring school district that morning. He stayed with the child until police arrived, ensuring the student remained safe and calm.
“Trusting his instincts and training, Julio quickly realized something wasn’t right,” said Martiza Valentin, national account manager for occupant and wheelchair securement manufacturer AMF Bruns America. “That little boy trusted the man in the school bus…