On Wednesday, Ruiz Bell a veteran driver in the county’s Ride On Bus system was traveling southbound on route 55 when he began to experience a heart attack.
Sensing the danger, he steered his bus to the side of the road. Passengers attempted to come to his rescue but were unsuccessful. Ruiz, age 63, husband and father to ten children died. But not before making sure the people riding with him were safe.
A resident of Gaithersburg, Ruiz was known for his loyalty to the Dallas Cowboys and his love of grilling.
At his media briefing on Wednesday, County Executive Marc Elrich spoke about Bell and his heroism. “Even in that moment, he was thinking about the people around him, brought the bus to a safe stop, preventing what could have been an even greater tragedy. That kind of calm under pressure tells you a lot about the person he was.”
His union UFCW Local 1994 issued a statement on his death. “His actions were a final, selfless reflection of the kind of person he was every day on the job -thoughtful, dependable, and dedicated to those around him. His coworkers knew him for his sense of humor, his warmth, and his unwavering support of his fellow employees. He made the workday lighter and workplace better simply by being himself.”
County Executive Elrich concluded his remarks, “On behalf of Montgomery County. I want to extend my condolences to his wife, children, coworkers, and mc, everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. I also want to thank the bus riders who tried to help him. His loss is a hard one and he’s going to be missed.”
