Passenger saves bus from accident

9:20am Thursday 4th October 2001

A QUICK-THINKING passenger stepped in to steer a coach containing 15 people clear of a bad accident after the driver fainted.

Police were called out to junction 1A of the M40 at 1.30pm last Thursday after the coach hit the central reservation.

PC Rob Solera, from Amersham Traffic Police, said that the passenger, who is from Oxford, who was sitting behind the driver spotted him fainting and grabbed the wheel.

He said: "The coach hit the barrier but he managed to bring the vehicle to a stop on the hard shoulder. The driver woke up with a bump on his head after fainting on the floor. Apparently he hadn't had his breakfast that morning.

"I shudder to think of the consequences of the coach leaving the motorway but luckily the passenger behind had the presence of thought and was calm enough to drive on to the hard shoulder."

The Oxford Bus Company 53-seater coach had been travelling from Oxford to Heathrow with 15 passengers on board when the accident happened.

PC Solera said: "It sends out a message that breakfast is definitely the most important meal of the day. Who knows what the consequences would have been had the passenger not grabbed the wheel."

None of the passengers were seriously injured in the crash and the driver was treated on the scene for his head injury.

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