Ruize Bell will always be remembered as the hero who saved his passengers in the most dangerous circumstances before his death. He has been praised for his last act of selflessness.
The 63-year-old father of ten works as a Ride On bus driver. He died of a heart attack while driving a bus full of passengers through Gaithersburg. He was able to stop the bus and pull over before he died, and that potentially saved lives.
Family members and friends say they weren’t shocked to learn that the 63-year-old’s final action was to make sure his passengers were safe.
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“He was actually able to pull over and stop and park it safely,” Zhane Bell, one of Ruize Bell’s daughters, told WUSA. “I was like, ‘Dang, that’s my dad.’ Because no matter what, he thought about everybody else before himself.”
She also mentioned that her father was a source of comfort to everyone who knew him.
“It’s the toughest thing we’ll probably ever have to go through, but I know he’s still here and I know he would want us all to be strong,” she added.
Ruize Bell’s photo is currently on display at work, with cards expressing sympathy for him given that he was so dedicated to his career.
“He loved driving the bus. That’s all he ever talked about was how many people he saw every day,” Zhane Bell said. “Just to see how everybody’s pouring in all the love and everything, calling him a hero, is really, really warming inside.”
Latika Ochieng was Ruize Bell’s Ride On supervisor. He told the outlet, “He was always thinking of other people, but that really spoke to his character. To be suffering his own tragedy and to still think of protecting other people. I mean, I don’t think people know how that could’ve gone in so many other ways.”
The bus driver had been employed by the Maryland County Department of Transportation since 2012.
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“That really spoke to his character: to be suffering his own tragedy and to still think about protecting other people,” Ochieng added. “I don’t think people know how that could’ve gone in so many other ways.”
Ruize Bell will always be remembered as a devoted husband, father, and community member. He was an avid golfer, griller, and Dallas Cowboys fan.
According to James De La Cruz, the Depot Chief of the Gaithersburg Ride On Depot, “There’s passengers now reaching out to us via other bus operators wanting to know how they can help.”
