OREM, Utah -- There were no injuries after a passenger on a Greyhound bus was forced to steer the vehicle to safety when the driver suffered a medical episode and passed out Friday morning.
According to the Utah Highway Patrol, a trooper was on an unrelated traffic stop on NB I-15 near milepost 270 in Orem around 7:15 a.m. when a Greyhound bus came to a stop on the nearby shoulder of the interstate.
A passenger got off the bus and said the driver of the bus had passed out. Troopers learned a passenger on the bus took control of the bus, moved it to the side of the interstate and brought the vehicle to a stop.
The bus made slight contact with the wall on the left side of the interstate before coming to a stop. No injuries were reported in connection with that minor impact.
The driver of the bus was transported due to the medical condition that began prior to the passenger taking control. Troopers say it is not clear if impairment may have been a factor but they are investigating the incident.
The incident closed the HOV lane and one other northbound lane, but those closures have since been lifted.
Greyhound released the following statement on the incident:
"We received your inquiry regarding today’s incident on schedule 6050 at 6:45 AM MST. The bus was headed north towards Salt Lake City on I-15. The incident occurred while passing through Orem, Utah. There were 23 passengers and one driver onboard. The driver experienced a medical emergency and was transported to a local hospital. One minor injury has been reported. A relief bus was sent to transport passengers to the Salt Lake City terminal."
