A 17-year-old Tauranga schoolgirl has been hailed a hero after helping a bus driver allegedly assaulted with a wine bottle by a man wearing a Spider-Man mask.
Tauranga Girls' College student Sunyoung (Sunny) Chung had been on a bus with friends when the alleged assault happened two weeks ago.
This week, she was guest of honour at NZ Bus' Greerton depot and was given gift vouchers and a letter of thanks from the company for her actions.
Not only did Sunny care for the driver and wait with him after the alleged incident, but she called the police, took photos for evidence, and gave the alleged offender a verbal serve.
Bus driver Bryan Simpson said he had been having "the best day" up until that moment.
"I was thinking everything was going so great, 'what could go wrong?'"
As Simpson approached the Maunganui Rd bus stop he spotted a person who he believed was "obviously drunk".
"As the passengers were getting off through the back door, I was trying to close the door so he couldn't get inside. I knew he was drunk. He had a bottle in his hand."
Simpson said he approached the person and told him he needed to get off because he believed he was too drunk, "we had a few words".
Simpson said he told the person he was going to call the police then went to the front of the bus, informed the control centre and turned the bus off. Then the man allegedly hit him in the head.
"So I ended up being slumped over the steering wheel. That's when Sunny came up."
Simpson said he went into shock "but I remember her coming and saying 'are you all right? Are you all right?'"
A man from a nearby bar came to help and managed to remove the alleged offender from the bus "but Sunny, she stood there".
"She could have gotten off, some passengers got off but she stayed there ... They just made sure I was fine until the police came."
Simpson said while he was not traumatised and was given a clean bill of health, he couldn't help but get "a bit emotional" seeing Sunny again this week.
"We had shared something. I couldn't talk to her then properly. I was a bit of a bubbling mess but she stayed there. I knew when I saw her again ... I'm incredibly thankful for Sunny staying there. It just went to my heart."
Simpson said he hoped his story would help people realise that as bus drivers "we're human".
"It's good to have support from the passengers just like that. Just to know that they are there for us as well. Sometimes it can be a difficult job dealing with all of those issues. I want to encourage people to support the bus drivers when they need it."
Sunny said she acted on instinct.
"He just hopped in and came towards us, he didn't pay for a ticket. He came and sat at the back with me (and my friends)."
Sunny claimed the man demanded money from the girls, prompting them to hide their valuables.
That was the moment Simpson intervened.
Sunny ran to check on Simpson and gave the offender a piece of her mind.
"I just told him: 'You get off the bus unless you pay for a ticket'. I wasn't standing for it, my friends, the driver, I had to protect them. There were other passengers as well."
Sunny offered Simpson water and the chocolate she had bought from a food show earlier in the day.
It wasn't until she was home Sunny realised the gravity of what happened.
"To be honest, I would do the same thing if it was the same situation."
At Thursday's presentation with drivers and Tauranga Girls' College principal Tara Kanji, Sunny and a teary-eyed Simpson hugged.
NZ Bus Bay of Plenty general manager of service delivery Ranga Perumbuli Arachchige thanked Sunny for her selfless actions.
"There has been a lot of negative news about school student behaviour [on buses] in the last few months. You did something positive and I truly believe that if people read about our positive action, people will follow that. You are a role model."
In recent months, abusive and aggressive behaviour at bus stops prompted drivers to boycott certain Tauranga stops. Some of the behaviour involved young people in school uniforms.
In response, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council restricted its 24/7 free school fares.
Incidents of concern included a driver being subjected to racist abuse while his rearview mirror was smashed up, a passenger boarding a bus with a machete, and a driver being spat at and repeatedly punched in the face.
Sunny was the first person who was not an NZ Bus employee to be recognised under its recognition reward programme, Perumbuli Arachchige said.
Kanji said Sunny was a considerate and kind person who epitomised the school's values of manaakitanga (kindness/hospitality), mana motuhake (independence), and mahi tahi (working together).
"She is invested in the school and values people and this came through loud and clear when she not only kept calm during a heightened situation but ensured everyone else in the bus was cared for too," Kanji said.
"Sunny has sacrificed a lot to remain with us as prior to borders reopening, if she went back to Korea she would not have been allowed back to finish her schooling with us."
A man was arrested in Mount Maunganui shortly after the incident and appeared in Tauranga District Court on Friday charged with assault with a blunt instrument.
He was remanded without plea until his return to court on Tuesday.
Motorists should avoid SH2 East between Stanley Rd and Fraser Rd.