The Toyota Yaris swerved to avoid another vehicle, and ended up wedged in the side of a Brisbane bus. Courtesy of Brisbane City Council
The Brisbane City Council has praised the actions of one of its drivers after a dramatic incident where a blue Toyota Yaris catapulted into the air and smashed through the side of a bus stopped at a red light.
The dramatic incident was captured on CCTV as the veteran driver rushed to help the female driver, whose vehicle had crossed a median strip before crashing into the bus.
According to the council, the crash at the intersection of Beaudesert and Granard Roads in Rocklea unfolded after a person driving a black SsangYong vehicle had allegedly caused the blue Yaris to swerve in order to avoid a collision.
That person has since been fined by the Queensland Police Service for driving without due care and attention.
The out-of-service bus was travelling on the UQ Lakes to Calamvale 139 route on its way back to the Sherwood Bus Depot.
There were no fare-paying passengers on-board at the time of the crash, however, the bus driver had collected his wife at the final stop, which is considered a breach by the council.
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Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said he had written to the council’s CEO to ensure any disciplinary action against the bus driver for allowing his wife on board was minimal given the circumstances of the shift.
The driver of the Yarish was treated for shock, but the bus driver and his wife escaped injury.
According to the council, the driver has worked for more than seven years in his role and has had many public commendations during that time.
Lord Mayor Schrinner said he had watched the footage and was amazed that everyone walked away unharmed.
“Seeing a car wedged into the side of a bus is something you’d expect in a movie, not on the streets of Brisbane,” he told The Epoch Times.
“The real story isn’t just the crash, it’s what our driver did next.
“The footage shows the bus driver ran towards danger to help a complete stranger.”
There are more than 1,200 buses in Brisbane’s public fleet, and more than 2,700 drivers.
Around 3.4 million bus trips were undertaken across Brisbane last financial year, covering over 75.6 million kilometres.
“I am incredibly proud we have people like him driving our buses, helping to keep Brisbane moving,” Schrinner said.
