Early-morning motorists had a fortunate escape yesterday when an empty school bus careered across a busy road before plunging into a river in Co Limerick.
The 53-seater bus was moving at 40 m.p.h. without its driver and travelled nearly 200 yards before ending up in the Arra river in Newcastlewest at 7.30 a.m. yesterday.
Commuters on their way into Limerick city were stuck at traffic lights when the runaway bus passed them at speed through the busy town.
It is believed the driver of the bus had left the vehicle with its engine running at Knockane yard in the town while he went to park his own car.
"It looks like he forgot to put the handbrake on, and the bus took off down a steep hill before ending up in the river," said Sgt Denis Woods, from Newcastlewest Garda station.
The driver of the bus, who was due to begin his school run, was said to be in a state of "deep shock" after yesterday's event.
"He turned around and saw the bus taking off. It hit the wall of a house across the road from the yard first and that's what straightened it up and then sent it down the hill and into the river," said Sgt Woods.
"Gardaí were at the scene in seconds, and we are satisfied that nobody interfered with the handbrake, and that it was just a case of human error," said a Garda source.
Locals in the growing town of Newcastlewest, with a population of 5,000, have been complaining about how slow the traffic lights are in the town centre.
A removal crane was used yesterday to lift the privately owned school bus from the river Arra, which flows through the town.