J.P. Raja, 28, was among the passengers in the bus (23-C) that climbed the railings of the Gandhi Mandapam Road late on Monday night.
However, unlike the others, he collected his wits together and helped many people to safety, besides reviving the driver.
“The driver fainted when the bus struck the railing after breaking the entrance structure of the bridge. I revived him,” said Raja.
“He was tired and nervous. He could not speak. I got down and informed the local traffic police from my mobile.
Raja said that many passengers suffered minor injuries as they hit the seats in front. “The trauma of the accident and their own injuries notwithstanding, many of them merely looked for the next bus to their destination. I pitched in with the traffic police to clear the traffic,” he told Deccan Chronicle.
“As the bus stopped, the traffic flow was affected during peak hour. I tried to clear the traffic along with the policemen. Only after two hours, the rescue team managed to remove the bus from the railings,” he said.
Raja was headed for Gandhi Nagar but stayed near the bridge till 10-10.30 pm.