Salem: Sheer presence of mind, due diligence and instinctive concern for the safety of passengers saw a 38-year-old driver of government-owned Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) save the lives of 32 persons travelling from Salem to Puducherry on Tuesday, even as he collapsed at the wheel.
The driver, Krishna Sundaranandam of the Villupuram division of TNSTC, taking out the vehicle from the Salem new bus stand early today, was driving with 32 passengers on board, sources said. As the bus was approaching Ponnamapettai railway gate near around 5.05 am, the driver suddenly winced with acute chest pain. His fellow crew, Ayyanaar was the conductor in the bus for the trip.
Nonetheless, Krishna Sundaranandam, was quick enough to safely halt the vehicle on the roadside before he collapsed on the driver’s seat, sources said. Shocked at Krishna swooning on his seat, the conductor and some passengers stopped an auto-rickshaw passing by, put him into it and rushed Krishna to a private hospital at Ammapettai.
Doctors who examined the TNSTC bus driver there declared him brought dead, which only doubled the shock for the conductor and the passengers travelling by the bus to Puducherry. They informed the Ammapettai police about the tragic happening, following which Krishna’s body was taken to the Salem government hospital for post-mortem.
A diabetic, the bus driver was learnt to be on dialysis and had reportedly working for the past two days without rest, sources said. Later in the day, officials of the Villupuram division of TNSTC who visited the Salem GH consoled the victim's relatives and friends who had thronged the hospital in good numbers. The bus passengers in particular were dazed that Krishna saved their lives, but lost his. Krishna is survived by his wife Madurambaal and three daughters.
