Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (EP/SP)

Bantwal, Jul 5: Presence of mind shown by a bus driver saved the lives of around 20 passengers in an accident that occured here on Friday July 4.

The bus, which was moving to Perla from Vittal, was going up a steep road, when the accident occurred.

The driver of a big tipper that was moving towards Vittal from the direction of Adyanadka at great speed, applied brakes after sensing at the road bend that a bus was approaching from the opposite direction. As the vehicle was moving at a fast pace, the wheels of the tipper skidded and the rear side of the vehicle blocked the road.

The driver of a bus lost control over his vehicle when trying to avoid hitting the tipper that suddenly came from the opposite direction and blocked his way.

The bus driver, who had to deal with this situation within a fraction of a second, tried to avoid hitting the back side of the tipper, and turned the bus. Still, the right side of the bus hit the rear side of the tipper. When the driver tried to avoid hitting an electric pole thereafter, the bus hurtled down a steep slope, and came to stop after traversing several feet.

Bus driver, Sanjeev, and tipper driver, Mathew, escaped with minor injuries. The bus passengers, numbering about 20, too escaped with minor cuts and bruises in the accident.