Heroic bus driver dies of cardiac arrest, saves 48 passengers with valorous move in Bhubaneshwar

In a miraculous and heroic incident in Odisha, almost 48 passengers of an overnight bus to Bhubaneshwar had a close shave as their driver, who suffered a cardiac arrest, applied his presence of mind and crashed the vehicle into a wall, bringing it to an immediate halt while taking his last breath, said the police.

Bus driver dies of cardiac arrest, but saves passengers

The shocking incident happened near Paburia village in Kandhamal district on Friday night, they said.

According to the police, the driver of the bus, identified as Sana Pradhan, started having chest pain while driving and then lost control of the steering.

Briefing about this incident, Kalyanamayee Sendha, the inspector-in-charge of Tikabali police station said, “He realised that he would not be able to drive further. So, he crashed the vehicle against a roadside wall, following which it came to a stop, and the lives of the passengers could be saved.”

The private bus, Maa Laxmi, which usually travels from Sarangarh in Kandhamal to the state capital Bhubaneshwar via G Udayagiri every night, she said.

Doctors declared driver dead

After the crash, Pradhan was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital but the doctors there declared him dead due to cardiac arrest, they said.

The bus left with the passengers for its destination a while later with another driver at the wheel, they said.

The body of the deceased driver was handed over to his family after an autopsy examination.

Following the incident, a probe has been initiated, Sendha said.