Hero nurse applauded for her actions

When Pulse Nurse Amy was on the bus during rush hour on a busy commuting route through Battersea she did not expect to experience what happened next.

On Thursday 10 August 2017, Amy was jumping on the number 77 to Royal London Hospital when the driver on the vehicle blacked out causing the bus to collide into a parade of shops on Lavender Hill. As passengers and passers-by frantically tried evacuating the vehicle Amy’s courageous actions helped others who were injured on the bus.

We interviewed Amy to find out what happened:

Take us through your movements on Thursday

I was on my way to Royal London Hospital about five minutes away from Clapham station on the number 77 bus. I had jumped on the bus and sat at the back on the lower deck. I don’t usually sit there but on this occasion I had. Everything seemed normal when the bus I was on seemed to swerve out of control. It was all happening in slow motion, it was very surreal. I braced myself, thinking ‘oh my god, I am going to die’. I was very lucky.

What was your first reaction when you had realised the bus had crashed?

Everyone on the bus was running out trying to escape, I just thought I need to get upstairs and see if I can help. I saw a lady had been crushed when I reached the top of the stairs. I tried to move her but we couldn’t get her out.  I didn’t want to leave the injured women but I was being shouted at to leave the bus because there seemed to be a fire coming from somewhere.

When we got downstairs we saw the bus driver who looked like he had blacked out. His foot was still on the accelerator which could have been why there was smoke. Another man broke open the driver’s door and two men helped to pull him out of the bus.

Once I was out of the bus I realised that the fire was coming from underneath it, we laid the driver on the floor. He seemed confused and didn’t know what had happened. Paramedics who arrived at the scene thought he may have had some kind of fit. I don’t know what was wrong with him still now, but I hope he’s ok.

How was the reaction from the emergency services?

Amazing. There were police who were fortunately across the road, the ambulance services were there within five minutes and ‘The Jaws of Life’ from the London Fire Brigade came within ten minutes to cut the lady out of the top of the bus. It really was a brilliant professional response from all involved.

Thank you

Everyone here at Pulse would like to say a huge thank you to all the emergency services, public and passengers who helped throughout the ordeal on the 10 August.


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