Last Updated: December 31, 2022, 11:23 AM IST
Rishabh Pant was saved by this bus-conductor duo on Friday.
The driver and conductor duo helped Pant get out of his vehicle which had already caught fire. They also helped arrange the ambulance which took him to the nearby hospital.
Sushil Kumar Mann, a Haryana state bus driver, a nobody has suddenly become a toast of the nation after he saved India cricketer Rishabh Pant from a near-death situation on Friday. The 25-year-old cricketer was traveling to Roorkee to surprise his mother, but dozed off in the wee hours and hit the divider on Delhi Dehradun Highway. The car overturned and caught flames. It’s at this point that Sushil intervened and helped Pant come out of the car.
Earlier media reports had stated how Pant had to break the windshield to get out of the vehicle.
Sushil said he saw the car slamming into the divider, stopped and ran over to help. “When we reached the car, sparks were rising but it had not yet caught fire,” Sushil told media.
“We pulled out the man from the car, laid him down and ran back to the car to see if there were others inside. I saw no one. When we ran back to the man… we saw his limbs moving,” the bus driver told television channels. When we went closer, he said I am a cricketer, I am Pant. I had not heard of him but the conductor told me he was a big cricketer,” he added.
Meanwhile, he was duly honoured for helping save one of India’s icons. Kumar was felicitated by the Haryana government earlier today. A video showing him and the conductor receiving the award has already gone viral. Moreover, as of writing this report, the Uttarakhand govt officers have confirmed that Government of India will honour him for being a good samaritan.
Rishabh Pant Accident Live Updates
“The first hour after an accident, that is the golden hour, is very important for the victim. He shall be treated within the first hour. The Good Samaritan award is to encourage citizens to take immediate steps in such a situation,” the Uttarakhand Police statement read.
Earlier former India cricketer VVS Laxman also paid his respects to Sushil. “A Haryana Roadways driver who took Rishabh Pant away from the burning car wrapped him with a bedsheet and called the ambulance. We are very indebted to you for your selfless service, Sushil ji,” Laxman’s Instagram post read.
The 25-year-old Pant was driving to his hometown Roorkee to surprise his mother and planned to spend the New Year with his family. He suffered injuries on his head, back and feet but is in a stable condition following the accident in Manglaur in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar district.
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