'Not a hero, I just did what I had to do': M'sian man uses lorry to stop runaway bus, gets hailed a hero

A Malaysian lorry driver has won praise after he used his vehicle to stop a bus that had seemingly lost control on an expressway.

After his actions saved passengers on the bus, there were widespread calls for his recognition.

But he declined to be called a hero, stating that he simply "did what [he] had to do".

Incident

The incident is believed to have occurred on Jun. 16 along the southbound stretch of Malaysia's North-South Expressway.

Dash camera footage circulating online showed the bus travelling at high speed down the rightmost lane, narrowly missing other cars in its path.

In response, the lorry positioned itself at the front of the bus to absorb the brunt of the impact, honking at other vehicles to warn them.

It was eventually able to bring itself and the bus to a halt.

According to Sinchew Daily, the bus had already collided with several vehicles on the road before the lorry intervened.

@mothershipsg The clip has since gone viral, with many online calling the unnamed driver a hero and urging for recognition. Authorities in Ipoh, Malaysia have yet to confirm details of the incident. #mothershipabroad ♬ original sound - Mothership

A hero

The lorry's driver was identified by Malaysian media as 40-year-old Wong Teck Ming.

The father-of-four said in an interview that he had acted out of instinct as he had no time to think or consider his own safety at the time.

Describing the incident, he added that he had used the safety barriers at the side of the road to reduce the bus' momentum, while stepping on his own brakes to bring the bus to a gradual stop.

"I'm not a hero, I just did what I had to do," he said, in response to the praise.

He added that the only thought on his mind was to get the situation under control, and protect the passengers and road users.

"Nothing about being a hero. I believe any driver would have done the same under the circumstances."