Trending
Bus Driver Saves Turtle In Middle Of Road
My favorite part about this is the giant grin the driver has on his face.
Marilyn Caylor
07.22.19

Why did a slow-poke turtle suddenly stop in the middle of the road?

To let a busy Milwaukee bus driver help him cross to the other side, of course!

It’s a good thing he stopped, because that cute little critter was just seconds away from being a smooshy goner.

And lucky for us, surveillance video captured the sweet act of animal kindness on film!

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

Yaghnam Yaghnam is probably the only employee with the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) who is getting high marks from upper management for doing two things that every bus driver is told not to do: making an unscheduled stop, and picking up a non-paying passenger.

But, had it not been for Yaghnam’s eagle eye and quick wit, the mysterious little dot that was trying to make it to the safety of the grass would have ended up becoming some lucky vulture’s “road soup of the day.”

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

At the beginning of the video we see Yaghnam sporting a huge grin on his face, as if he were a kid who had just dug up a treasure chest. Only, instead of gold and jewels he found something even better – one of his favorite animals ever!

As he realized what the animal was, he stopped the bus, jumped out of the driver seat, and scooped up the little guy – just in the nick of time!

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

Another MCTS bus was barreling down the same road from the opposite direction, and it would have run over the poor thing had Yaghnam not been there to save the day. He told CBS 58:

“I love turtles. I knew the other bus was approaching and wanted to be sure he was out of harm’s way.”

Surveillance footage from the moving bus shows Yaghnam smiling and waving at the driver right after he bent over to place the turtle onto the grass.

The second driver was probably confused at the strange scene, but they didn’t stop to help because it was clear that Yaghnam had the cheeky situation totally under control.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

Yaghnam’s compassion for all creatures big and small caught the attention of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), who decided to honor him with their Compassionate Action Award.

With over 6.5 million supporters, PETA is the largest non-profit animal rights organization in the world. The organization aims to educate both policymakers and the public about animal abuse and animal rights. They also advocate for the ethical treatment of all animals – even the not-so-cute ones like rats and snakes.

Although PETA sometimes makes headlines for posting undercover videos of the horrific, real-life abuse that animals go through, their main goal as a whole is to give voice to animals who can’t speak up to defend themselves.

YouTube
Source:
YouTube

PETA Vice President Colleen O’Brien praised the Milwaukee bus driver for his actions, and said:

“Mr. Yaghnam acted quickly and compassionately to pluck a little turtle from a perilous spot in the nick of time and send the animal on his or her way. PETA asks others to follow his lead and give turtles a helping hand during this busy wildlife season.”

Flickr/ahlea
Source:
Flickr/ahlea

In addition to a sending Yaghnam a framed certificate, PETA is also including a sweet “thank you” surprise – a yummy box of vegan cookies. Now that’s something worth pulling over for!

Be sure to check out the video below to see why MCTS bus drivers are known for saving the day.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Article Sources:
To learn more read our Editorial Standards.
Advertisement