WARMINGTON: Heroic TTC bus driver saves a car full of seniors on track from GO train

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It’s the stuff of movies where a brave bus driver risked his own life to save some seniors who could have been crushed by an oncoming commuter train. 

But it was not a movie. It was real life in the city of Toronto and it happened during rush hour Thursday. 

An award will be coming to a brave and alert TTC bus driver who saved four seniors from being killed by a GO Transit train in Scarborough. 

“Another act of incredibly heroic work by a #TTC frontline employee around 6 p.m. last night in Scarborough,” said a tweet Friday from the TTC. “A bus operator on Finch East route rescued four people from a car stuck on slippery tracks just moments before it was hit by a train. Formal commendation will be awarded.” 

It was one of those tense, grind-your-teeth moments when a car accidently turned onto the tracks with a train approaching at about 5:55 p.m. 

A quick-thinking TTC bus driver was able to get over there to get the seniors out of the car just in time. 

There was no time, however, to save the car, which was struck by the train and destroyed. 

Toronto Police Const. Laura Brabant said the car driver was on Finch Ave. E., east of Kennedy Rd., “when he turned left onto the railway tracks. The vehicle became stuck on the tracks. A TTC bus operator observed the vehicle stuck on the railway tracks and assisted all of the occupants exiting the vehicle and kept them safe and warm on his bus.

“A few minutes later, a GO Train struck the motor vehicle,” she added.

One TTC operator said there is no question the bus driver saved the lives of these people by risking his own and is a hero. 

Metrolinx said the incident occurred near Agincourt GO Station on the Stouffville Line. No one was hurt on the tracks or on the train. 

But it sure was close. 

“This operator will receive a full commendation,” TTC spokesman Stuart Green said. 

ATU 113 president Marvin Alfred said his member is “modest” and “doesn’t want any attention” and feels he just did what any “of his coworkers would have done to save lives.” Alfred added that the driver is “grateful that everyone involved is OK.”

Mayor John Tory also expressed his “sincere appreciation” for the bus driver.

“This driver represents the best of our city and our transit workers. Thank you to that driver on behalf of the entire city,” Tory said.

Turns out this real-life movie-like scenario has a happy ending. 

And a heroic figure. 

jwarmington@postmedia.com