An American tourist caught in the fatal bus crash on the Bruce Highway has spoken out about the last-minute seat change that saved her life.
Three women were killed and dozens of people injured when a Greyhound bus collided with a car towing a caravan in north Queensland on Sunday.
Two German women in their 20s and 30s and a 56-year-old Townsville woman, Emma “Alli” Sailor, were the three passengers who died on board.
Teacher Piezy Marie said the bus arrived 90 minutes late at Airlie Beach for her journey to Cairns, where she intended to catch a flight home to California.
In one encounter she did not understand, Ms Marie said on Facebook: “The driver, upon checking my ticket, looked at me and said, ‘I remember you.'”
She simply smiled and nodded and the driver moved her from her assigned seat 1C, which was behind him, to the window seat 2A in the second row across the aisle.
“The passengers who occupied my original seat were seriously injured and eventually died,” Marie wrote.
She said she still can’t “come to terms with the idea that it could have been me (who died).”
American tourist Piezy Marie (pictured) has revealed the incredible last-minute seat change on a bus that later crashed on a motorway, which almost certainly saved her life.
Ms Marie said the impact with the caravan “was like a cannon shot”, with glass flying everywhere.
“I heard loud screams and cries from the passengers. It sounded like the bus was moving up and down in slow motion until it landed next to the train tracks,” he said.
Ms Marie said that from now on she will always remember that a person’s life can end in a fraction of a second and that she will “live every second without hesitation.”
“I’m not very religious, but I believe the Lord above is watching over me so I can continue teaching my children and telling my stories,” she said.
‘I am protected, blessed and grateful to him and my ancestors.’
The bus allegedly veered into the oncoming lane and collided with the caravan, which was being towed by an elderly couple who were unharmed.
“I later learned from the police that the damaged trailer was the elderly couple’s home,” he said.
“I hope the people of Queensland start a GoFundMe campaign for this elderly couple.”
The American tourist thanked the rescuers and locals who came to the rescue of the 33 passengers on the bus.
“I will never forget the kindness of the people of Queensland,” she said. “I will share this story with my students in California.”
Three women were killed and dozens of people injured when a Greyhound bus (pictured) crashed into a car towing a caravan on the Bruce Highway in north Queensland on Sunday.
In an encounter she did not understand, Ms Marie (pictured) said: ‘The driver, upon checking my ticket, looked at me and said: ‘I remember you,” she wrote on Facebook.
The son of a 56-year-old woman who died in the bus crash has spoken on behalf of the family and asked that his mother’s name not be revealed.
“She was a beautiful church woman, she never hurt anybody,” he told Nine News Queensland. “She would give anybody the shirt off her back.”
The woman was traveling with her daughter and four grandchildren and was an hour away from her home.
“We want a full investigation to be carried out, there is no point in blaming anyone, let the police and the courts do their part of the matter,” the man said.
