SACATON, Ariz. — A bilingual fourth-grader hurt in an Arizona bus accident that killed six people translated from an ambulance stretcher for rescue workers as they set up a triage center, authorities said Saturday.
Oscar Rodriguez, 11, of Las Vegas was labeled a hero by firefighters and paramedics for helping them communicate with non-English- speaking passengers after Friday’s predawn crash on a busy interstate.
They gave him gifts and a certificate that reads “Hero of the day” during a visit at a Phoenix hospital Saturday.
“This kid stayed calm and was brave more than any other veteran I’ve worked with,” said Kenneth Leslie, a paramedic who with his partner was the first to arrive at the scene.
Rodriguez and 15 other passengers suffered injuries, including broken spines and pelvises and head injuries. More than a dozen people remained hospitalized Saturday.
