Donald Trump has offered $10,000 to a city bus driver in Buffalo, N.Y., for stopping to coax a suicidal woman off the ledge of a busy overpass.
Driving the Elmwood 20 bus southbound toward Buffalo State College on Oct. 18, Darnell Barton saw the troubled young woman and stopped the bus in the middle of the overpass to dissuade her from jumping, a local TV station reported.
Surveillance video shows Mr. Barton lifting the woman from the other side of the railing and sitting down with her on the sidewalk. They were soon joined by a corrections officer who had seen her from the road and another good Samaritan who said she was a counselor, WIVB reported.
“While I was holding her, listening to their questions, I just prayed,” the bus driver said, as WGRZ reported. “Whatever was on her mind, it had her. It really, really had her.”
Mr. Trump told the station that he was so moved by the story that he wanted to show Mr. Barton his appreciation.
“People were passing by and just passing by,” he said. “She’s hanging over the side of a bridge and they’re acting like there’s nothing even happening. And, he stopped his bus and went out and went into action. And, you know, the softness of his voice and the beauty of his action actually convinced the young lady to step away from danger, so I thought he did a fantastic job.”
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The real estate mogul said he has not spoken with Mr. Barton but will sign the check Monday when he returns to New York, WGRZ reported.
“I love doing it when I see something wonderful like that. That was just wonderful what he did. And with such compassion and such heart, and such a nice guy and I just loved watching it. It was just beautiful the way he did it and this is very special and he’s a special guy and he has to be rewarded for that,” Mr. Trump said.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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