Passenger applies brake to avert Alps bus tragedy

Austrian police say a passenger in a bus with 23 others on board narrowly averted tragedy after the driver lost consciousness, helping to stop the vehicle at the point when it was already overhanging a steep drop.

The bus, carrying French tourists, was heading downhill from a height of around 6,600ft, when the driver fainted. The passenger dashed forward and applied the brakes. That, and a guide rail, brought it to a halt. Ten people needed medical treatment.