Storeman steps in to save the day on runaway bus

But the sequence of events which faced bus passenger Stephen Turner was very real and the ending could have been far from happy.

Mr Turner, 56, a father-of-three, was aboard a bus descending Almondbury Bank – one of Huddersfield’s steepest roads – when the driver collapsed.

The driver of the single decker had passed out and the vehicle was heading towards a busy junction and traffic lights.

Quick-thinking Mr Turner, of Dalton, Huddersfield, jumped out of his seat but he could not move the driver from his chair or reach the pedals.

Mr Turner then grabbed the wheel and steered the runaway bus – at one point swerving around a lamppost.

Eventually he guided the vehicle into some trees and bushes on the side of the road.

The Yorkshire Tiger bus came to a halt and all eight passengers escaped injury. The bus driver has since been discharged from hospital.

Mr Turner, a storeman, leapt into action shortly after boarding the 341 Stocksmoor to Huddersfield service with his wife Janice, 54, at 12.30pm on Saturday.

He said: “I noticed the driver was leaning over but at first I thought he was checking the cash machine.

“But then there was a judder as we caught the kerb and slumped even further into the aisle.

“I was closest and we were going down the bank and I knew I had to stop it before we went through the lights at the bottom.

“My first thought was how to slow the bus down. I just did what came instinctively.”

He added: “I took it into some trees and bushes on the left to slow it down and had to swerve round a lamppost at one point.

“I realised I couldn’t go fully into the trees as it might have flipped the bus over. Fortunately it stopped just before we ran out of trees.

“I didn’t have time to look behind me to see how they were but thankfully everyone was OK. I’m not sure why the bus stopped when it did, it was very lucky.

“When it finally came to a stop there was a sigh of relief and some of the older ones wanted to get off the bus as soon as they could.

“I’m just glad everyone is safe; when the driver came round he had no idea what had happened and his eyes were glazed.”

The whole terrifying incident lasted no more than a couple of minutes, he said.

Mr Turner, who has three sons, added: “I just did what I needed to do.

“I even surprised myself, especially when you think what could have happened. I’m just glad nobody was hurt. I stayed totally calm and didn’t panic at all.”

After he had spoken to the authorities, both he and his wife jumped on another bus and continued their journey in to town.

Passenger Richard Brabiner, 40, who witnessed the drama, said: “I was sitting on the back seat and a woman at the front of the bus noticed the driver was leaned over.

“She thought he was just checking his mirrors then realised he had actually passed out.

“A man who was sitting near her got up and took the wheel. A second man told other people on the bus to brace themselves for an abrupt stop.

“It would have been bad enough if it was going on the straight, but it was going at a good speed at the top of Almondbury Bank.

“The man who steered the bus is the one who saved the day. I didn’t even get his name but I thanked him once we stopped and he waited for the police and ambulance to arrive.”

Martin Gilbert, of Yorkshire Tiger buses, said: “We want to express our huge appreciation to Mr Turner and his quick-thinking and reactions.”

The driver had been discharged from hospital and was due to meet with company bosses to find out if he was fit to drive.