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GRANITE FALLS, Minn. (FOX 9) - Newly-released dash cam video shows how a sheriff's deputy and a firefighter helped stop a runaway bus near Granite Falls, Minnesota Wednesday.
According to a release from the Yellow Medicine County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Sheriff Eric Diekmann and Granite Falls Fireman Greg Meyer worked together to stop the bus that was spotted traveling in the wrong lane at about 40 miles per hour around noon Wednesday.
Several calls came in to the sheriff's office about the bus traveling the wrong way on Hwy. 212, prompting deputies and Granite Falls police officers to respond. Officers soon noticed the driver was suffering a medical emergency. The bus did not have any passengers inside.
"The main thought was just to come up with a plan to figure out a plan to try to figure out a way to divert the bus from causing any accidents with oncoming vehicles," said Diekmann.
Diekmann was able to pass the bus to provide emergency lighting in front of it to alert oncoming traffic.
He then used the brakes of his squad car to slow the bus down.
Once the vehicle was almost stopped, Meyer stopped his personal vehicle, opened the door to the bus and was able to stop it and put it in park. Meyer had been following the bus after witnessing it hit at least three other vehicles earlier in Granite Falls.
"Firefighting we put ourselves in situations worse than that quite often," said Meyer. "I didn't think it was anything that extreme. I would rather do that 100 times rather than go into a burning house."
The bus driver was identified as Brian Fuller, 70, of Renville. He was taken to the hospital after the incident. His condition is unknown.