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Trainee Bus Driver Plunges Vehicle into Seine, 4 Rescued

Published 30 April 2026

A trainee bus driver plunged a city bus into the Seine River in the Paris suburb of Juvisy-sur-Orge on Thursday morning after striking a parked car, but all four people on board were rescued without major injuries, authorities said.

The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. local time as the bus was leaving the Danaux bus station. The 25-year-old female driver, in the final stages of her training under the supervision of an instructor, made a steering error that sent the vehicle veering off the road, ramming an empty parked car and dragging it into the river, according to prosecutors and local officials. Both vehicles sank completely near a bridge.

Emergency services responded swiftly, deploying 34 firefighters, around 60 police officers, divers, rescue boats, a drone and helicopters. Bystanders, including members of a nearby rowing club and witnesses on a barge, provided immediate aid by throwing life rings before professional responders arrived. The four occupants, consisting of the trainee driver, her instructor and two passengers, were pulled from the water. The trainee was taken into police custody afterward, and both she and the instructor tested negative for drugs and...

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