Bus rampage victims lost their cars, but thank their stars

It was just another day in the life of Pune city on Wednesday morning, but within hours it turned black with the bus rage accident that shocked all. While many did not return home after Santosh Mane decided to take the state transport bus on a rampage into the crowded streets, there were others who thanked their stars for their narrow escapes.

Nitin Ghadge, who was on is way from his home on Sinhagad Road to a business meeting in Swargate area, did not imagine what was in store for him that day.

“At 8.45 am, near Neelayam Talkies, I saw a bus literally charging in my direction from the wrong side of the road,” said Nitin, who was driving a red i10. He immediately took the car towards the edge of the road.

“The bus banged into my car, causing it to stop. I was blank for 10 to 15 minutes, but do remember seeing the public jump into the bus to drag out the driver and beat him up.” Nitin owns a water treatment company.

Terming his escape a miracle is Naval Officer Samir Fernandes, who credits his 4-year-old daughter for saving his life as well as her own. “I left from my house in Clover Highlands on NIBM Road to drop my daughter to St Mary’s in my Scorpio. We were singing while driving through Napier Road when suddenly my girl, Vedika, started telling me that she can hear an ambulance’s siren. When I told her that I could not hear any such thing, she kept insisting that she could hear it loud and clear. I sensed she was worried and stopped the car on the left of the road when suddenly the bus crushed the right side of the car and drove off,” said Samir, who explained that the siren that Vedika heard was actually the police car’s siren that was following the bus. Samir put Vedika on her school bus. “We were very lucky that the car got damaged, but we escaped without a scratch. If it was second or an inch late, God knows what would have happened. Children really have a sixth sense that saved us today.”

Samir spent the rest of the day filing the panchnama and following up with the car insurance people.