Hero tourist one of several bystanders who saved man 'crushed under bus' after collision in Edinburgh - police appeal for witnesses

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An American tourist has told of the moment he helped a man who had been struck by a bus in Edinburgh's city centre.

Emergency services, including Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue, and paramedics, rushed to George Street around 1.50pm on December 8, following a collision involving a male pedestrian and a double-decker bus. Collin Cunningham, 31, from Florida, was visiting the city with his wife, Jessie Cunningham, to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

He recounted being one of several bystanders who attempted to "push the bus" off the injured man. He told Edinburgh Live: “The man was crushed under the bus.

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“We were walking down the street, which was really busy. About 10 seconds after we passed the crosswalk, we heard a crash and screaming. Everyone turned around immediately. There were about 25 people nearby, and we all moved toward the bus because it was clear something had happened.

“A lot of people were shouting. I assumed there’d be someone more qualified, but I wanted to assist in any way I could.”

An American tourist has told of the moment he helped a man who had been struck by a bus in Edinburgh's city centre. (Photo: Getty Images)An American tourist has told of the moment he helped a man who had been struck by a bus in Edinburgh's city centre. (Photo: Getty Images)
An American tourist has told of the moment he helped a man who had been struck by a bus in Edinburgh's city centre. (Photo: Getty Images) | Getty Images

As he approached the scene, Collin saw the man trapped beneath the bus. He added: “The bus door had been smashed against a fence, and there wasn’t much anyone could do immediately. One of the bus passengers came out and started shouting for help, asking for the strongest people to push the bus. About 15 of us tried, but it wasn’t budging.

“There was one man in particular rallying people to help move the bus - he had the most influence. After some time, my wife and I stepped back as we felt we weren’t able to contribute further.”

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The road was closed to allow for investigations and reopened around 9pm.There were no reports of additional injuries. Collin added: “The man seemed seriously injured, and I just hope he’s okay now.”

Sergeant Jamie Humpage said: “Our enquires are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and I am appealing to anyone who witnessed the crash and hasn’t already spoken to officers to get in touch. I would also appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time and who may have dash cam or private CCTV which could assist to contact us.” Anyone who can assist is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 1703 of Sunday, 8 December, 2024.

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