Derry man in Donegal bus rescue
A Derry man helped rescue 30 school children from a horror bus smash in Donegal.
A 34-year-old man died after his car collided with a school bus near Stranorlar on Monday at 4.30pm.
Derry man Gary O'Hein, who was on a day trip with his wife and family, saw the bus and the car collide and then watched in horror as the coach veered off the road and into a field, coming to a stop on its side close to the Kilross Junction on the main Letterkenny to Ballybofey Road.
30 schoolchildren from Royal and Prior School in Raphoe, who were on the bus, escaped serious injury.
The Bus Eireann coach was heading from Derry to Donegal town, but turned over on its side in a field after the crash.
"Once I saw the children on the bus I jumped out of the car, broke the glass and helped them climb out through the sky-light.
"There were two elderly people also on the bus and one of them sustained a nasty gash to her head.
"It's a miracle none of them was killed. My big worry was that the bus would catch fire. The ambulance was there within minutes - they responded very quickly."
Gary who went to their aid, added: "I spoke to the driver and he thought that the driver of the car was under the bus, but I explained to him that this wasn't the case."
Garda Superintendent Vincent O'Brien said that the pupils on board the school bus were not wearing seat belts.
"There were seatbelts fitted in the bus but unfortunately none of the passengers were wearing their seatbelts, so we're very fortunate that we don't have a lot more injuries or indeed fatalities as a result of this accident," he said.
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Weather for Derry
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 26 C
Wind Speed: 29 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 14 C to 24 C
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