People rush to aid of SUV driver after bus collision
Witnesses said driver was having a seizure
STARTLING footage from America shows the moment a number of brave civilians rushed to the aid of a driver whose SUV rammed into the side of a bus and became attached to its rear.
The 41-year old driver, who reportedly experience a seizure at the wheel, had his foot stuck on the accelerator pedal. The video shows the wheels of the SUV furiously spinning and churning up incredible amounts of smoke. Observers noted the fact that the SUV was unable to detach from the bus meant that the car was prevented from careering into buildings and pedestrians, potentially injuring or killing in the process.
The dramatic incident took place in Wichita, Kansas, on a busy road in the middle of the day. The squealing tyres can be heard from the beginning of the video, as a couple of people emerge from a white saloon parked in the middle of the road and sprint straight towards the struggling SUV.
Despite the smoke and the spinning wheels, one brave man tries repeatedly to smash the driver’s window. As the green transit bus attached to the car pulls away, the driver seemingly unaware that the car is being dragged along, too. A number of civilians can be seen sprinting behind and trying to signal the bus driver.
Just as someone is about to go at the window with a fire extinguisher, another person gets the door open and the driver is eventually rescued safely. He was treated by paramedics at the scene and walked away with only minor injuries, according to local news reports.
The 51-year old bus driver was unharmed and the bus luckily had no passengers on it.
Rene Steven Brand, a local resident, recorded the incident on her phone, thinking that the scene was the result of a hit and run. She credited the bystander who repeatedly braved the smoke: “I couldn’t believe he kept trying — but so thankful he did.
“He was a complete stranger but he was a hero to everyone that could have been in the path of this vehicle that could have broke [sic] loose at any time.
“It could have caused so much damage — he saved lives for sure.”
In a Facebook post accompanying the footage, she added: “This could have been really bad. Thanks to our everyday heroes among us.”
Brand said she had learned from a couple who were attempting to rescue the driver that he was having a seizure. Police confirmed that the man was thought to have “experienced a medical complication” before hitting the bus on Rock Road at Harry Street at around 12:18pm.
Most states in the US don’t find the driver of a vehicle involved in a collision liable if they suffered from an unforeseen medical emergency that caused the accident. It is not deemed negligent if the medical incident was unforeseen and beyond the driver’s control.
However, some states prohibit or place restrictions on the licence of people who suffer from pre-existing medical conditions, including seizure disorders.
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