GDRTA Driver Recognized for Quick Action to Help Lost Children

The quick response of a Greater Dayton RTA driver helped police safely deliver four lost children back home after being alone in the streets of Dayton late at night.

RTA driver Keisha Gay will be named a Be The One award recipient – an honor the RTA bestows on employees who embody the agency’s Core Values – for her work that went above and beyond to help the siblings when they were lost.

Gay was driving on RTA’s Route 12 the night of July 24 when she was flagged down by the group of young children on Five Oaks Avenue near Old Orchard Avenue around 10:30 p.m. After safely pulling over her bus, the children informed Gay that they were lost and had been wandering the streets for several hours trying to find their way back home. The four children were all under the age of 12.

Gay brought the children on the bus for safety and called her supervisors, who called Dayton police. Gay drove the children to RTA’s Wright Stop Plaza where supervisors and police met them. Because one of the children required a safety seat, Dayton police could not transport the child in their police cruiser. RTA supervisors helped transport the children back to their home with police, while police continued their investigation.

“Keisha’s quick action symbolizes our Core Values. Safety for our customers, employees and the communities we serve is one of our priorities,” said Roland Caldwell, RTA Director of Operations. “Keisha noticed the children were out alone late at night and was immediately concerned for their safety. She was committed to making sure the children were safe and made it home safely.”

The Greater Dayton RTA employs more than 400 drivers who transport customers on more than 20,000 trips each day. Gay’s attentiveness possibly saved a life, Caldwell said.

Gay will be awarded for her outstanding work at the next RTA Quarterly Employee Recognition Ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 26. The “Be The One” award is given to RTA employees who exemplify the agency’s Core Values of Safety, Integrity, Quality Service, Respect, Stewardship and Our People in their day-to-day work ethic.