A truck driver from Lam Dong Province has become Vietnam’s latest national hero for using his own vehicle to save 30 passengers on a bus with malfunctioning brakes.
Last Tuesday, Phan Van Bac, a 30-year-old driver from the Central Highlands, was on his usual cargo delivery route from Bao Loc City to Saigon when he noticed something unusual behind him, Zing reports.
As Bac’s truck was heading down the last part of Bao Loc Pass, he spotted in his rearview mirror a 42-seat bus that appeared to have lost its brakes, careening down the road at a dangerous speed with the passengers shrieking in terror.
“It looked like the travel bus was having troubles with its brakes so I quickly changed my gear and set the truck on a slow speed so that the head of the bus could slowly collide with the back of my truck,” the Lam Dong native relayed to Zing. “After the bus slammed into the back of my truck, I drove slowly while holding on to the brake to assist the bus through the last stretch of the pass until we reached a flat area.”
A 3D recreation of the incredible incident. Video via Zing.
Thanks to Bac’s quick thinking, only one of the 30-odd passengers on the bus was injured, according to VnExpress. However, both the back of his truck and the front of the bus were severely damaged by the impact. Needless to say, the driver’s good deed was lauded by passersby, passengers and the Ministry of Transport. Still, it seems that no one was as relieved by Bac’s actions as Toan, the driver of the bus.
“I was trying to keep the bus from going off the cliff when I saw Bac’s signals," Toan shared with the news source. "I am sincerely grateful for his kind actions that helped save the passengers.”
Still reeling from what happened, it has finally dawned on Bac just how dangerous the situation was.
“When I saw the bus in trouble, I only thought of how to help without contemplating the aftermath,” the driver told Zing. “Now it freaks me out whenever I think of [the incident], so I’m taking a few days off work to calm down.”
The two vehicles after the collision. Photos via VTC.
While Bac is taking some much-deserved rest, his heroic act has become a sensation on local social media platforms, as netizens have flooded the comment sections of related news posts with praise for the truck driver. Moreover, the incident has also caught the attention of municipal authorities.
Deputy Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee Khuat Viet Hung recently announced that the committee will bestow Bac with the year’s “Golden Steering Wheel” award, along with VND10 million in cash, reports VTC.
The “Golden Steering Wheel” award, given out by the National Traffic Safety Committee annually, is typically reserved for transportation companies and drivers who demonstrate respect for traffic laws while maintaining road safety.
To be considered for the award, drivers must keep their records squeaky clean during the year while logging at least 30,000 kilometers of safe travel. Additionally, the committee gives special consideration to good deeds and altruistic acts that help to maintain road safety or save lives during road accidents.
[Top photo via VTC]
