Teen Uses His Bicycle as a Shield to Help Disabled Man Cross a Busy Road in Taiwan

KAOHSIUNG — A junior high school student in Fongshan District drew widespread praise after using his bicycle to block traffic while guiding a disabled man across a major intersection as the pedestrian light counted down. The school awarded him a commendation and a cash prize.

The incident happened around midday Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, on Jhongshan East Road (Jhongshan Dong Road, 中山東路), near Fongshan Junior High School, according to Taiwanese media reports. The video shows the older man moving slowly and low to the ground as vehicles approach. The student stays beside him, walking the bicycle between the man and oncoming traffic, and guiding him to the median.

A student recognized, and the drivers who stopped

The student was identified as Jiang Yong-en (江詠恩), a ninth-grade student in the school’s gifted program. He told reporters he acted on instinct as the situation looked dangerous, and later thanked the drivers who waited. “I’m very grateful the passing cars all stopped to wait for us,” he said.

Fengshan Junior High School recognized Jiang the next day, Jan. 28, issuing a certificate, recording a minor merit on his school record, and awarding NT$2,000 (about US$60), according to reports. Principal Lin Ji-ling (林季玲) praised the student’s empathy, calling it an act that “showed a child’s pure, tender heart,” in a statement carried by local media.

The man who was helped

The person helped in the video was described as a 62-year-old man surnamed Li (李姓). Kaohsiung’s social affairs officials said he had been listed as a care case since March 2025, and assistance included support for an electric wheelchair and installation of a ramp, according to local reporting. Officials said they would follow up again on his needs.

Local neighborhood head Liu Jin-xiang (劉晉祥) said he had watched the man cross before and found the scene distressing, according to reports.

Praise, and a safety debate

The dashcam clip ricocheted across Threads and other platforms, with reported view counts ranging from about 1.225 million to more than 1.24 million, depending on when the totals were captured.

But the same images that prompted praise also raised a concern: whether celebrating a minor stepping into moving traffic sends the wrong message. Road safety guidance in Taiwan emphasizes that drivers must yield at crosswalks, and the Transportation Ministry’s safety campaign urges pedestrians to follow a five-step routine: stop, look, turn, wave, and move.