Driver crashes bus in attempt to avoid squirrel

A bus driver in the western Swedish city of Gothenburg crashed his bus and left 40 passengers needing treatment after he swerved to avoid hitting a squirrel. The accident occurred on early Saturday evening when the bus driver swerved suddenly because of a squirrel that had jumped down from a tree.

However, his evasive action resulted in 40 passengers on the crowded intercity bus needing to be treated for minor injuries.

Vstra Gotaland police assistant duty officer Henrik Sterner told the Gothenburg Post that the driver said after the incident that he saw the squirrel running across the road and swerved to avoid it.

Sterner said that emergency services including ambulances and fire engines arrived on the scene soon after the driver raised the alarm. However, he noted that the driver should have kept driving at the permitted speed instead of taking the evasive action, hinting that he may have done it because he is an animal lover.

Six people had to be taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries, while the rest of the hurt passengers were seen to at the scene of the accident. The driver was unharmed but offered support for shock. The squirrel’s fate remains unknown.

Photo: still frame from Killer Squirrels