‘Can anyone drive a bus?’ Passenger takes the wheel

Woman guides vehicle after driver falls unconscious

Rebecca Powley hadn’t been on a bus in 25 years until Thursday, when she found herself steering one after its driver fell unconscious.

She took charge of the rogue bus in midafternoon traffic on Hwy. 401, saving the lives of her son and 45 other passengers.

Powley and her 11-year-old son were en route to Toronto from Orillia to catch a flight to St. Louis, Mo., when she heard another passenger call out to the bus operator, who was “completely unconscious,” she said.

“I ran to the front of the bus and saw the driver was slumped over the wheel,” she said. “I pulled his foot off the gas because we were moving and steered over two lanes. He wasn’t in any lane, to be honest.”

Powley, 49, who was seated about four rows from the front, proceeded to manoeuvre the vehicle to the right, she said, coming to a full stop on the right-hand shoulder of the highway.

“I ran to the front of the bus and saw the driver was slumped over the wheel.” REBECCA POWLEY WHO STEERED BUS TO SAFETY ON SHOULDER OF HWY. 401

“If he had passed out15, 20 minutes before, we would have been on the 400 without traffic and he would have been going over 100, easy,” Powley said.

Powley explained that it was a splitsecond decision. “Nobody moved and I have an 11-year-old son.”

Afterward, she tended to the driver and helped call 911, she said.

“He was all clammy, but he said he didn’t have any pains in his chest or arms and he said he had no medical conditions,” Powley said. “I don’t think he had a clue how it happened.”

Toronto resident Laurie Gennings, 35, who was seated near the rear of the vehicle, described a commotion at the front of the coach around the time the bus driver passed out.

“A bunch of people were standing up and someone yelled, ‘Can anyone drive a bus?’ while we were still moving in traffic, so that was a bit alarming,” he said.

Gennings said he saw a woman “marching” to the front of the bus. He said he assumed this was Powley.

The bus driver had begun his route with a 7:30 a.m. departure from Sudbury, said Renee Baker, a spokesperson for Ontario Northland. Powley took control of the bus at about 1:40 p.m. on the 401 near Keele St., Baker said. Powley said the bus was travelling at about 50 km/h in heavy traffic at the time.

“Emergency services responded and another driver was dispatched and passengers were delivered afterwards,” said Baker, who confirmed the company has an investigation underway. She said the bus driver had a “medical issue,” but declined to release the driver’s name, citing confidentiality and privacy concerns.

“There is no requirement in Canada to test for drugs and alcohol, however, Ontario Northland conducts pre-employment screening,” she said, adding that the company conducts random drug testing.

She said the driver was transported to Humber River Hospital and has since been released.

“He is not back to work at this time,” Baker said. “Once he has the approval from his family physician to return to duties, we will ensure that he also has approval from our corporate physician to return to duty. If he is deemed fit to return, he will.”

Gennings said he was grateful for Powley’s action. “I didn’t get a chance to thank her in person. It could have been a lot worse. I hope some good karma comes to her in 2018.”

Ontario Northland offered Powley a lifetime’s worth of free bus rides.

“It was to honour and show her that we really appreciate her stepping up to the plate and ensuring our motor coach operator received the medical care that he needed and that our passengers were safe, as well,” Baker said.

“I hadn’t been on a bus for 25 years, I’m not sure when the next time will be, but you never know,” Powley said.