Passenger’s quick thinking saves 50 as bus driver dies at wheel

Agra: An unidentified passenger’s split-second decision saved nearly 50 lives after a UP roadways bus driver suffered a fatal cardiac arrest while driving in Aligarh district.

After steering the out-of-control bus away from oncoming traffic and averting what could have been a devastating crash, the man -- hailed as a hero by fellow passengers -- quietly left the scene before police could even learn his name, officials said on Saturday.The driver, identified by his first name, Ganesh (45), who was on contract with the Mathura roadways depot, was driving the Mathura-Aligarh bus through the Gorai police station area on Friday morning when he suddenly complained of uneasiness and collapsed behind the wheel.

With the driver unconscious, the bus veered into the opposite lane. A passenger seated near the driver sprang into action, grabbed the steering wheel and wrestled the vehicle back under control.

The bus eventually crashed into an electric pole before coming to a halt after striking a roadside platform.“No one was injured because the passenger immediately took control of the steering after noticing the driver’s condition, preventing a bigger tragedy.

His identity is still unknown,” DSP (Iglas) Kamlesh Kumar said.As the bus came to a halt, some passengers pulled Ganesh out of the driver’s seat and attempted CPR while others alerted the police. He was rushed to a private hospital, where doctors declared him dead. His body was later sent for postmortem.Police subsequently arranged another bus for the stranded passengers to continue their journey, while the damaged vehicle was removed to restore traffic.Assistant regional manager (ARM) of the Mathura roadways depot, Madan Mohan Sharma, said Ganesh, a resident of Govardhan in Mathura district, had worked as a contractual driver with UP roadways for over 10 years. He is survived by his wife, a daughter and two sons.