After mishap, Tamil Nadu driver turns bus into ambulance; gives victim first aid, takes her to hospital

CHENNAI: At a time when many pedestrians are killed in road accidents every day, a govt bus driver in Tirunelveli set an example of accountability. A crowded bus briefly turned into an ambulance on Tuesday morning after the driver accidentally knocked down a 50-year-old woman near Aravind Hospital in Vannarpettai.The bus, operating between Tirunelveli railway junction and KTC Nagar, was driven by Suresh Kumar with Muthukrishnan as conductor. Realising the woman was hit, Suresh stopped immediately, helped her up, and administered basic first aid.He then instructed all passengers to disembark. With no ambulance in sight, he drove the woman to the nearby govt hospital, 4 km away. The detour took 10 minutes. She had suffered injuries to a hand, and the bleeding was controlled in time.The conductor and driver used their own money to pay for the woman’s treatmentand medicines. “We couldn’t wait. She was in pain and bleeding, so we had to act fast,” Muthukrishnan told officials later.TNSTC commercial manager Poolaraj said, “It was the fault of both the pedestrian and the crew, but we appreciate that they took her to hospital without delay.” He added that a spare bus from a nearby depot was immediately arranged to pick up the stranded passengers and continue service on the same route.