Woman saves lives
A woman grabbed the steering wheel of a bus after its driver passed out on a packed motorway, police said, in a sort of real-life "Speed", the movie starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.
The woman, who has asked to remain anonymous, was travelling on a double decker bus from Manchester to Colne in Lancashire, northern England, when she saw the driver collapse as he drove along the M60. She grabbed the wheel and managed to steer the bus safely into the nearside barrier, where it came to a stop.
No-one was injured and the 61-year-old driver was taken to hospital with a suspected viral infection, according to police. "If this woman had not seen the bus driver collapse then it could have resulted in a major accident in which I fear many people would have been seriously injured, or worse," said a police spokesman.
In the 1994 Hollywood blockbuster "Speed", Bullock has to take control of a bus which is rigged with a bomb that will explode if the vehicle's speed falls below 50 miles per hour (80 kilometres per hour).
Level: B2
Exercises
| Read the article and answer the questions. | ||
| 1) | How would you describe the woman's actions? | |
| 2) | In emergency situations how do you or would you react? Do you freeze, do you act quickly? Explain. | |
| 3) | Have you ever done anything heroic? Share your stories with the class. If not, share a story about a person who has done a heroic deed and explain why it was admirable. |
