‘Miracle nobody was killed’

BEING stuck in traffic probably saved the lives of motorists yesterday when an empty school bus careered across a busy road before plunging into a river in Co Limerick.

The 53-seater bus was moving at 40 miles an hour without its driver and travelled nearly 200 yards before ending up in the Arra river in Newcastlewest at 7.30am yesterday.

Fortunately, motorists were stuck at traffic lights when the runaway bus passed them in the busy town.

It is understood the driver of the bus had left the vehicle with its engine running at Knockane yard while he went to park his own car.

"It looks like he forgot to put the handbrake on and the bus took off down a steep hill before ending up in the river," explained Sergeant Denis Woods.

"It's a pure miracle nobody was killed.

The driver of the bus who was due to begin his early morning school run was said to be in a state of "deep shock" .

"He turned around and saw the bus taking off. It hit the wall of a house across the road from the yard first and that's what straightened it up and then sent it down the hill and into the river," said Sgt Woods.

Ironically, locals have been complaining about how slow the traffic lights are in the town centre.

"It's funny to think that people have been giving out a lot lately at how long they have been stuck at red lights in the town but after what happened yesterday it's just as well the traffic moves so slowly or else someone could have been hit by the bus," said one local.

A crane later lifted the privately owned school bus from the river.