Greyhound bus fatal crash survivor shares incredible escape: American teacher Piezy Marie back home

A passenger aboard the ill-fated Greyhound bus involved in the fatal collision in North Queensland has revealed that a last-minute seat change saved her life. See the pictures from the aftermath

American teacher Piezy Marie was aboard the Greyhound bus when it crashed near Gumlu, killing three people in the next row. Photo: Facebook

An American tourist aboard the ill-fated Greyhound passenger bus involved in a mass-casualty collision in North Queensland has revealed that a last-minute seat change saved her life.

In a social-media post, Piezy Marie said the bus arrived 90 minutes late at Airlie Beach for her journey to Cairns to catch a flight back to California where she teaches.

“The driver upon checking my ticket looked at me and said, ‘I remember you’,” she wrote on Facebook, adding that she was unsure about what he was talking about “so I just smiled and nodded”.

She said that her assigned seat was 1C behind the driver but the driver asked her to sit to on the second row

“However, the driver beckoned me to sit in 2A, the window seat in the second row across the aisle.

“The passengers who took my original seat (behind the driver) were badly hurt and eventually died,” she said.

“To this writing, I still couldn’t come to terms with the realization (sic) that it could have been me.”

American teacher Piezy Marie was aboard the Greyhound bus when it crashed, killing three people in the next row. Photo: Facebook

Ms Marie, who says she was educated in the United Kingdom, said the impact with the caravan “felt like a blow of a canon”, with glass flying everywhere.

“I heard loud scream and bawling from passengers,” she said.

“It felt like the bus was moving up and down in a slow motion until it landed past the railroad track.”

She said she would always remember that life could be snatch from you in a split second and to “live for each second without hesitation”.

“I’m not very religious but I think the Gentleman upstairs is looking out for me so I can continue teaching my kids and to tell my stories,” she said.

“I am protected, blessed and I am grateful to him and to my ancestors.”

California teacher Piezy Marie shared these images of the aftermath of the Greyhound bus crash that killed three people near Gumlu in North Queensland. She was on the second row of the bus, narrowly escaping serious injury. Photo: Facebook

Ms Marie posted a number of photos taken in the aftermath of the collision on the Bruce Highway at Gumlu between Townsville and Bowen, including a photo of the obliterated caravan driven by an older couple in a four-wheel drive.

She wrote that the couple said they had been forced to swerve to avoid the bus, which missed the vehicle and collected the van.

“Later I heard from the police that the damaged caravan was the elder couple’s home,” she said.

California teacher Piezy Marie shared these images of the aftermath of the Greyhound bus crash that killed three people near Gumlu in North Queensland. She was on the second row of the bus, narrowly escaping serious injury. Photo: Facebook

“I hope the people of Queensland will start a GoFundMe drive for this elder couple.”

She thanked the first responders and locals who came to the rescue of the 33 passengers.

“I will never forget the kindness of the people of Queensland,” she said.

A photograph taken in the immediate aftermath of a horror fatal Greyhound passenger bus crash at Gumlu on the Bruce Highway south of Ayr.

“I will share this story to my students in California.”

It comes as the son of the 56-year-old woman who was killed in the bus crash spoke on behalf of the family, describing his mother, who he has requested not to be named, as a “beautiful church woman”.

The damage to the Greyhound bus after the fatal crash on the Bruce Highway south of Ayr on Sunday. Picture: 7 News

“She was a beautiful church woman, she never hurt anyone,” he told Nine News Queensland.

“She would give the shirt off her back to anyone.”

It is understood that the 56-year-old woman was a passenger on the Greyhound bus, she’d been travelling with her daughter and four grandchildren, and was an hour away from home.

Despite the family’s sadness, the man said there was “no point blaming anyone” over the crash.

“We want the full investigation to go through, no point in blaming anyone, let the police and the courts do their side of the business,” he said.

Originally published as Greyhound bus fatal crash survivor shares incredible escape: American teacher Piezy Marie back home