Bus driver in tragedy praised

Wu Bin ultimately died of his injuries from Tuesday’s freak accident, but not before braking, changing gear and telling passengers not to wander onto the road. His hometown of Hangzhou in eastern China has praised him as a hero and a role model.

Dramatic security camera footage broadcast yesterday on state television showed the object hitting Wu and his calm handling of the situation, despite being in obvious pain. Wu died on Friday.

China has a history of praising acts of selflessness and courage to inspire responsibility in an increasingly competitive and sometimes callous society.

“I didn’t realize what had happened until I saw the blood-covered driver and the smashed windshield,” said a passenger surnamed Zhou, who was sleeping on the bus when a loud noise awoke him.

“The incident could have turned into a traffic accident resulting in major casualties without his heroic efforts and professional ethics,” Zhou said

The company said he had driven safely for more than a million kilometres without any accidents or complaints from passengers.