Nashua bus driver suffers medical emergency, passenger takes over

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Lizette Markham is the passenger who jumped into action when a bus driver had a heart attack while driving a city bus in Nashua. Photo/Jeffrey Hastings

NASHUA, NH —  A Nashua City Transit Bus with eight passengers was traveling on Burke Street at 11:30 a.m. when the driver of the bus became had a medical emergency and became unresponsive.

The bus veered to the right and began striking cars, a granite post and fire hydrant. That’s when passenger Lizette Markham knew something was wrong.
“It was like out of a movie, like ‘Speed,'” she said of the ordeal.
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A passenger managed to safely bring a Nashua city bus to a stop after the driver suffered a medical emergency. Photo/Jeffrey Hastings

Markham said she noticed the bus slumped back in his seat and appeared to be unconscious. She jammed on the brake pedal and brought the bus safely to a stop.

Not being familiar with the ignition system she didn’t know how to shut the bus off or put it in park, so she yelled for another passenger to call 911. The driver remained unresponsive while she waited for first responders.
When police arrived they shut the ignition off and opened the doors so the passengers could exit. Paramedics used a defibrillator at the scene and transported the driver, who did not survive.

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