14.02.2025 17:40
A passenger who managed to stop a bus after the driver fainted at the wheel in Kocaeli described those moments. The passenger said, "I thought, 'We are dying, oh God, I'm coming to you.' Because we were really dying. It wasn't about me; God helped us."
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Yesterday at around 10:30 AM, terrifying moments were experienced in a private public bus in motion on the D-100 highway in the Serdar neighborhood of İzmit district in Kocaeli. The driver of the private public bus with license plate 41 J 0270, M.Y., fell ill and fainted at the wheel.
A PASSENGER'S INTERVENTION PREVENTED A TRAGEDY
The out-of-control bus first collided with the public bus belonging to Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality with license plate 41 BR 428, driven by B.K., and then hit the barrier. The bus, which was moving uncontrollably without hitting any vehicles on the highway, was stopped about 1.5 kilometers later with the intervention of Erkan Macak (45), who was traveling in the vehicle. Upon notification, health and police teams were dispatched to the area. The bus drivers M.Y. and B.K., who were injured in the accident, were taken to the hospital by ambulance. It was learned that the health conditions of the injured were good.
HORROR MOMENTS CAPTURED ON CAMERA
The horrifying moments were captured by the bus's internal and external cameras. In the footage, it was seen that bus driver M.Y. struggled to hold the steering wheel after a while and then fainted. The moments when the out-of-control bus changed lanes and collided with the bus leaving the stop, causing the driver and passenger to be thrown around, were reflected in the bus's camera, along with Macak calling out "brother, brother." It was seen that Macak went to the driver, saying, "Wake up, brother," trying to revive him and regain control of the bus.
"THE CAR WASN'T STOPPING BECAUSE HIS FOOT WAS STUCK"
Construction worker Erkan Macak, who intervened with the driver and tried to control the bus, recounted those moments. Macak stated that he boarded the bus at the Orduevi location, saying, "We chatted a bit with the driver; he said, 'I think I caught a bit of a stomach bug.' We moved a bit further, and before reaching the stop, a municipal bus came out from the corner and couldn't stop. We hit the municipal bus; afterwards, we were jolted. The driver lost consciousness and hit the barrier. I thought he would recover. In the end, we had an accident. I saw he wasn't coming to. I shouted 'Brother, brother' inside the car, but there was no response. I went to try to wake the driver up. I held the steering wheel with one hand and tried to wake the driver with the other, but he couldn't wake up. We were dragged for a while; we traveled about 1,000 to 1,500 meters. I hit the barriers to stop the car. The car wasn't stopping because his foot was stuck. We freed the car from the barrier, turned in the normal direction, and when it bounced a little, his foot came off the gas. When the car slowed down a bit, we turned off the ignition. After that, the fire department, police, and ambulance arrived," he said.
"WE WERE DYING, THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY"
Macak also shared what he felt during the incident, saying, "'We are dying, God, I am coming to you,' I said. Because we were really dying. It wasn't something I could control; God helped us. There was nothing I could do. I just tried to hold the steering wheel and tried to wake the driver. I had no strength left to do anything else. There were just me and the driver in the vehicle. It was a miracle. It shouldn't have been just the two of us; normally, there are at least 10-15 people. At that moment, it was just the two of us. It may seem simple to everyone, but at that moment, I lost myself too. Should I hold the steering wheel, pull the handbrake, or wake the driver? Should I hold myself? We kept hitting the barrier; which one should I do? Everyone can say 'Pull the handbrake.' Someone on social media told me, 'Instead of saying brother, brother, pull the handbrake.' It's not that simple. May God not let anyone experience this. We were dying; there was no other way," he expressed.
"THE MAN LOST HIS CONSCIOUSNESS"
Macak also mentioned that he visited the injured driver in the hospital, saying, "The next day, I went to the hospital to see the driver. The man was quite battered. We had a major accident. If there had been any car, truck, or anything in front of us, we would have been shattered. The driver's foot was broken, and his jaw was injured. He is also in a very difficult situation. The front window shattered, and pieces hit the man's face. This is not simple; our chance of dying was one hundred percent. God saved us. The man doesn't even know what he did. He can't even say how the accident happened. Because when the car hit, the driver's head hit the hood on his side, and then when it hit the barriers, his head hit the steering wheel; the man lost his consciousness," he said. Meanwhile, it was learned that B.K. was discharged, while the driver M.Y., who fell ill on the road, is still receiving treatment.
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