Bystander Takes Control of Unmanned Bus After Driver Collapses

Attorney Tomer Bazini is being hailed as a hero after he intervened to stop a bus when the driver lost consciousness while en route to the Coral Beach Nature Reserve in Eilat. Bazini, traveling with his wife and children, noticed the driver had collapsed and the bus was veering off course, hitting a sidewalk and a guardrail. He quickly moved to the driver's cabin, climbing through a gap in the windshield.

Bazini managed to grab the steering wheel and locate the brake pedal, which the unconscious driver's foot was not fully depressing. He applied the brakes forcefully, bringing the bus, which was carrying approximately 20 passengers, to a halt. "I told myself my children are on this bus, we have to get out of this story," Bazini told Ynet, explaining his motivation.

The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when the Bazini family boarded Egged bus line 15. After initially sitting in the back, Bazini moved closer to the front due to feeling unwell. The bus struck a bus stop, shattering the front windshield and right side window, at which point Bazini realized the driver was unresponsive.

After stopping the bus, Bazini attempted to rouse the driver and asked him to turn off the engine. Emergency services, including Magen David Adom and the police, arrived at the scene and provided medical attention to the driver. Bazini expressed relief that the situation ended without further tragedy, acknowledging the immense mental strain of the event.