Bus driver’s presence of mind saves 3-year-old girl in Kozhikode

Kozhikode: A three-year-old child had a miraculous escape from being run over by a private bus at Kodiyathoor, the video of which has gone viral on social media. The footage of the incident that occurred on Friday shows a three-year-old girl who had just got down from an autorickshaw with an adult suddenly running towards her mother standing on the opposite side of the road as a private bus was fast approaching.As the child ran directly into the path of the bus, the driver displayed remarkable presence of mind by swerving the vehicle and slamming on the brakes, narrowly averting a tragedy.The child was saved by Sinoj, the driver of the bus named Thayyil, operating on the Kozhikode–Kodiyathoor route. Sinoj said that for a moment he too feared the child had gone under the vehicle."For a split second, I thought the child had gone under the bus. I braked hard and swerved to the right. People nearby also shouted when they saw the girl running across the road, which made her stop," he said.Sinoj added that his hands and legs were trembling after the incident, especially as he has two children of her age. The bus resumed service later with another driver, and Sinoj said he stayed away from the wheel for two days. The CCTV footage of the incident was retrieved on Saturday from a nearby shop and was shared on social media to urge parents to be more vigilant. The child, who escaped without injury, is the daughter of a couple from outside the state. Sinoj was later honoured by CITU workers at Kodiyathoor.