Bus driver suffers epilepsy attack behind wheel

The driver of a BMTC bus suffered an epilepsy attack while at the wheel and the swerving vehicle rammed into a motorbike, an autorickshaw and a car on the service road near Kempapura junction in Hebbal on Saturday afternoon. Three people were injured in the accident.

The police said Venkatesh, the driver of the bus plying between Yelahanka and City Market, suffered the attack at around 1 pm and collapsed on the steering wheel. 

An alert conductor, Thimma Reddy, took control of the bus and brought it to a halt applying the hand brake.

Reddy then called up the BMTC control room, which rushed an ambulance to the spot. By then the police, too, arrived and shifted the injured bike rider Venu Gopal, a resident of Jeevanahalli, and autorickshaw driver Sohail, a resident of Yelahanka, to a nearby hospital. They were discharged after first aid.

Bus driver Venkatesh was taken to Baptist Hospital, where doctors treating him said he was out of danger.

“Fortunately, no major casualties happened. A few vehicles were damaged and a major mishap was averted, thanks to the alert conductor,” said a police officer.

Vehicular movement was disrupted for about 30 minutes around the Hebbal flyover before traffic cops arrived and eased the situation. The Hebbal traffic police are investigating.