An RTC bus driver who died at the wheel after parking the bus safely on the roadside is being hailed as a hero. The bus was carrying 29 passengers. P.V. Ramanaiah, 36, was driving the bus from Ongole to Inkollu, a distance of 43 km. At some distance from the destination, while still on the highway, the driver reportedly became uneasy. He slowed down the vehicle and parked it on the side of the highway. Even as conductor Nazeer and the passengers watched, Ramanaiah crumpled over the steering wheel.

Conductor Nazeer immediately called an ambulance and shifted Ramanaiah to the local  government hospital at Chirala, 26 km from Inkollu for treatment. Even as the ambulance neared Chirala, Ramanaiah died, sources. Doctors at the hospital said he was brought dead. Mr Nazeer said, “Though he suffered a massive heart attack, he parked the bus and saved the lives of 29 passengers.” Ramanaiah hailed from Vennur village under Kondepi mandal of Prakasam district. He is survived by his wife and two sons.