Passenger Ms. Qin said that she saw the driver fall down and hurriedly asked for help. A man stepped forward and pressed the brake. The right front side of the bus was damaged. All pictures in this group were taken by our reporter, Yu Zhuo.
Passenger: He worried about a collision, so he slowed down the car and pulled over to the roadside.
Doctor: Preliminarily judged that it might be due to heart disease induced by hot weather.
Wife: He was only 39 years old, and we always thought he was very healthy...
At around 1 p.m. yesterday, when a No. 506 bus was traveling to Lianhu Park Station in Xi'an, the driver Wang Wei suddenly collapsed on the driving seat due to a sudden heart attack. In his last moment of life, he used all his strength to slow down the car and pull over to the roadside. After Wang Wei fainted, a passenger quickly stopped the car. Nearly 20 passengers on the bus, pedestrians on the road, and other vehicles were all safe and sound, but Wang Wei passed away due to ineffective rescue.
The speed of the car suddenly slowed down and kept veering towards the roadside.
At 1:30 p.m. yesterday, near Lianhu Park Station, the reporter saw that the red No. 506 bus with the license plate number Shaanxi AF6174 was parked on the fast lane by the roadside from east to west on Lianhu Road. There was no one on the bus, both doors were open, and there was a deep dent on the lower right front of the car head, and the front door was slightly deformed.
On the north side of Lianhu Road heading east, 100 meters away from the bus at the subway station construction barrier wall bottom, there were two obvious impact marks, and there were scratches on the barrier wall south side of Lianhu Road middle isolation fence.
Witness Mr. Chen said that around 1 p.m., when this No. 506 bus traveled along Lianhu Road from east to west just after passing the intersection of Lianhu Road and Lixin Street, the speed suddenly slowed down, and the body of the car kept veering towards the roadside. "The right side of the car hit the subway station construction barrier wall twice, scraping down the isolation fence, did not turn into the slow lane, but swayed unsteadily for sixty to seventy meters along the fast lane before stopping."
Driver fainted before slowing down and pulling over to the roadside
"If the driver had not timely slowed down and pulled over to the roadside, hitting the oncoming cars or pedestrians on the roadside would have been dangerous!" Passenger Ms. Qin sat anxiously on the side of the road. She said that there were nearly 20 passengers on the bus at the time, and she stood at the front of the compartment, closest to the driver.
Ms. Qin recalled that just after crossing the intersection, the speed suddenly changed from fast to slow, getting closer and closer to the roadside barrier. After the first collision with the barrier, there was a "squeaky" sound. "At the time, the driver still stuck his head out of the window to look, holding the steering wheel with both hands, constantly turning to the right." Ms. Qin said that the driver didn't say anything, but his actions were obviously slower than before, looking very strained. "After the second collision with the barrier, his body suddenly fell towards the left window," Ms. Qin said, "His left hand and head were lying on the window, his right hand still on the steering wheel, and he passed out." Ms. Qin indicated that thanks to the driver's final emergency avoidance, otherwise the nearly 20 passengers on the bus would have been in great danger.
A passenger stopped the bus after the driver fainted
After the driver fainted, the bus was still slowly moving forward. "The driver fainted, who can control the car!" Ms. Qin shouted, and a man in a black shirt rushed to the driver's seat, stabilized the out-of-control steering wheel, pressed the brake tightly, and finally stopped the bus on the fast lane by the roadside. "Passengers got off the bus one after another, and three or four young people directly jumped out of the window," Ms. Qin said. Several male passengers first lifted the unconscious driver and laid him flat on the floor of the compartment. Worried about the stuffy heat inside the bus, they then carried him off the bus and placed him on the steps by the roadside. "Some passengers loosened his belt to let him breathe, others hastily dialed 120." Subsequently, the 120 emergency vehicle and traffic police arrived, and the still unconscious driver was sent to the hospital.
At 2:30 p.m., the bus driver Wang Wei, who was sent to the emergency department of Xi'an Central Hospital, unfortunately died after more than an hour of resuscitation. Dr. Wang Lei from the emergency department said that when the patient was brought in, his pupils had already dilated, and he had no heartbeat or breathing. It was preliminarily judged that the high temperature weather might have triggered heart-related diseases.
Police officers from the Accident Team of the Lianhu Brigade of the Xi'an Public Security Bureau Traffic Police Corps promptly arrived at the scene to understand the situation. The traffic police said that according to the current situation, because the bus driver suddenly fell ill, the vehicle could not stop immediately, nor did it cause any consequences. It was preliminarily judged that this incident temporarily does not constitute a traffic accident.
Wife cries uncontrollably
"Always thought he was very healthy"
Ms. Zhang, Wang Wei's wife, rushed to the hospital but failed to see her husband for the last time. Sobbing uncontrollably, Ms. Zhang said that her husband was 39 years old this year, and she had never heard him say that he felt unwell, nor had he ever taken medicine, "We always thought that his health was very good, and I never expected..."
The bus company is preparing for aftermath handling
"Currently contacting the deceased's family"
A staff member of Xi'an Wanli Industrial Company, which owns the No. 506 bus, said that Wang Wei had only driven the No. 506 bus for over a month, worked conscientiously, was experienced, and very responsible. Wang Wei's monthly salary was close to 3000 yuan. Each No. 506 bus was equipped with two drivers, and Wang Wei was just taking over the shift when the accident happened. "We are currently in contact with the deceased's family to discuss the aftermath as soon as possible," said the staff member, "The family members are very agitated and unwilling to talk about Wang Wei's family situation."
It is understood that the minibuses of the No. 506 line have been contracted to individuals on a per-vehicle basis. Whether Wang Wei himself purchased personal accident insurance, the staff member said he was unclear.
Investigation
80% of bus drivers are in sub-health state
Surveys on the living conditions of bus drivers in other provinces show that 80% of bus drivers are in a sub-health state, and some drivers have developed occupational diseases such as cervical spondylosis, lumbar disc herniation, stomach ptosis, cardiovascular diseases, etc.
Deputy Chief Physician Wang Gengli of the Red Cross Hospital of Xi'an said, "Sub-health" may induce latent lesions, and bus drivers driving for long periods continuously, "irregular diet and other factors may trigger potential lesions within the body."
Minibus drivers have high labor intensity
Mr. Du, who used to be a minibus driver, said that driving a minibus has high labor intensity. The company set tasks, requiring a certain number of round trips (a fixed mileage) every day to avoid being penalized financially. "Drivers work over 10 hours a day."
Relevant personnel from Bus Company No. 5 said that their company currently requires each driver to work 8 hours a day. The requirements of different bus companies in Xi'an and the companies owning the minibuses vary greatly, whether in terms of income or labor intensity.
Reminder
Summer is the high incidence period for sudden death
Summer is the high incidence period for myocardial infarction and sudden death. With high temperatures, low air pressure, and excessive sweating, people can easily die suddenly due to suffocating heat. In summer, it is essential to replenish water and electrolytes in time, not just drink pure water, but also appropriately supplement with diluted salt water, vegetables, fruits, to prevent sudden death caused by electrolyte imbalance.
If you encounter any of the following precursors, you must go to the nearest hospital for treatment to rule out hidden dangers.
Precursor One: Feeling brief angina, or feeling like swallowing something difficult, accompanied by sweating, experiencing chest tightness for 3 to 5 minutes.
Precursor Two: Intermittent chest tightness or oppression, palpitations, fatigue, and dizziness.
Precursor Three: Sudden hypotension, chest pain, cold sweats, difficulty breathing.
What is sudden death?
Refers to seemingly healthy people who suddenly die due to the sudden onset or worsening of underlying natural diseases. Unlike organ necrosis, sudden death is caused by excessive use, similar to how a computer can crash if used excessively.
Link
Some cases of sudden death among bus drivers
March 30, 2009, Yunnan Kunming No. 26 bus driver Yang Zhizhou suddenly fainted while driving. Fortunately, a passenger on the bus promptly pulled the handbrake and stopped the vehicle. Yang Zhizhou ultimately passed away despite medical efforts.
September 27, 2009, Ningbo Zhenhai Bus Company No. 380 driver Sun Jianyong died suddenly at home. On October 11 of the same year, Ningbo Yong'an Bus Company No. 523 driver Zhang Qing felt unwell at work and died after unsuccessful medical rescue.
March 6, 2010, a bus driver in Shaoguan, Guangdong Province suddenly fainted on the steering wheel while driving, fortunately, a passenger rushed forward and firmly stepped on the brake. The driver died despite on-site emergency rescue.
January 26, 2011, Dongyang bus driver Lin Nan zhen in Zhejiang Province died suddenly while driving. In his last moment of life, he struggled to step on the brake.