Video Shows Passengers Steer Runaway Bus After Driver Had Fatal Emergency: 'Your Driver Is Having a Seizure'

Mar. 15, 2025

A terrifying incident involving a runaway Colorado bus could’ve turned even more tragic had it not been for a pair of very alert passengers, officials said.In a Facebook post, Colorado Springs’Mountain Metropolitan Transitannounced that one of its drivers experienced a medical emergency on Monday, Oct. 14, while operating a bus on Route 1.“Thanks to the efforts of a quick-thinking passenger who took control of the wheel, the bus was safely stopped near Academy Avenue and Astrozon Boulevard,” the agency said. “Despite the efforts of emergency responders, the driver passed away.”On Friday, Oct. 18, Mountain Metropolitan Transit released video footage from the incident, ABC affiliateKRDO, NBC affiliateKUSAand theColorado Springs Gazettereported.The video showed a passenger holding a coffee cup as the bus moved on its route. He walked over to the front of the bus and could be heard asking the unseen driver, “Are you alright?”Per the footage, another passenger then got up and rushed to the front of the bus. While the first passenger helped the impaired driver, the second passenger took control of the wheel and called a dispatcher on the radio to notify what was happening.“Dispatch, I am on No. 1 southbound," said the second passenger. “Your bus driver is having a seizure. I am parking the bus.“Eventually, the bus was moved slowly to the side of the road before it came to a halt.“He’s breathing, but the seizure seems to have stopped,” the second passenger later told the dispatcher while observing the driver’s condition.In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Monday, Oct. 21, Elaine Sheridan of Mountain Metro Transit said that the agency has requested that the two passengers contact them so they can receive passes “as a token of our appreciation for their assistance that morning.”Sheridan also said that due to HIPAA regulations, the name of the driver cannot be released. Additionally, the driver’s family requested privacy during this time.“Around 7:45 a.m. on October 14, 2024, our driver experienced a medical emergency and lost consciousness,” said Sheridan. “One passenger noticed the driver’s predicament just before he fell, while another passenger quickly rushed from the back of the bus, brought it to a safe stop, and contacted dispatch via radio. Mountain Metropolitan Transit is incredibly grateful to these passengers for their quick thinking and actions, which helped avert a potentially more tragic situation.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Mountain Metro Transit also noted in the same Facebook post that its Route 9 bus was involved in a collision on Saturday, Oct. 12, with another vehicle. The department said that the driver was treated and released from the hospital.“Fortunately, no passengers were injured in either incident, but these events have had a significant emotional impact on our driver community,” Mountain Metro Transit said. “As a result, there may be some disruptions to service while our drivers process these experiences. We kindly ask for your understanding and compassion during this challenging period.”

A terrifying incident involving a runaway Colorado bus could’ve turned even more tragic had it not been for a pair of very alert passengers, officials said.

In a Facebook post, Colorado Springs’Mountain Metropolitan Transitannounced that one of its drivers experienced a medical emergency on Monday, Oct. 14, while operating a bus on Route 1.

“Thanks to the efforts of a quick-thinking passenger who took control of the wheel, the bus was safely stopped near Academy Avenue and Astrozon Boulevard,” the agency said. “Despite the efforts of emergency responders, the driver passed away.”

On Friday, Oct. 18, Mountain Metropolitan Transit released video footage from the incident, ABC affiliateKRDO, NBC affiliateKUSAand theColorado Springs Gazettereported.

The video showed a passenger holding a coffee cup as the bus moved on its route. He walked over to the front of the bus and could be heard asking the unseen driver, “Are you alright?”

Per the footage, another passenger then got up and rushed to the front of the bus. While the first passenger helped the impaired driver, the second passenger took control of the wheel and called a dispatcher on the radio to notify what was happening.

“Dispatch, I am on No. 1 southbound,” said the second passenger. “Your bus driver is having a seizure. I am parking the bus.”

Eventually, the bus was moved slowly to the side of the road before it came to a halt.

“He’s breathing, but the seizure seems to have stopped,” the second passenger later told the dispatcher while observing the driver’s condition.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Monday, Oct. 21, Elaine Sheridan of Mountain Metro Transit said that the agency has requested that the two passengers contact them so they can receive passes “as a token of our appreciation for their assistance that morning.”

Sheridan also said that due to HIPAA regulations, the name of the driver cannot be released. Additionally, the driver’s family requested privacy during this time.

“Around 7:45 a.m. on October 14, 2024, our driver experienced a medical emergency and lost consciousness,” said Sheridan. “One passenger noticed the driver’s predicament just before he fell, while another passenger quickly rushed from the back of the bus, brought it to a safe stop, and contacted dispatch via radio. Mountain Metropolitan Transit is incredibly grateful to these passengers for their quick thinking and actions, which helped avert a potentially more tragic situation.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Mountain Metro Transit also noted in the same Facebook post that its Route 9 bus was involved in a collision on Saturday, Oct. 12, with another vehicle. The department said that the driver was treated and released from the hospital.

“Fortunately, no passengers were injured in either incident, but these events have had a significant emotional impact on our driver community,” Mountain Metro Transit said. “As a result, there may be some disruptions to service while our drivers process these experiences. We kindly ask for your understanding and compassion during this challenging period."

source: people.com