One brave man saved 14 lives by dint of his exceptional presence of mind and clear sense of duty. “He sacrificed his life to save us,” one of the passengers said, touching many hearts.

On June 10, Deng Aimin, a 54-year-old man from Zhijiang, Hubei province, was ferrying 14 passengers on Highway 209 from Shennongjia to Yichang when the front windshield of the vehicle was smashed by a stone falling from the surrounding mountains.

Seeing that the stone was falling from the right side of the road, Deng quickly swerved to the left in order to keep the passengers safe. However, the swerve put Deng directly in the stone's path, and it smashed into him after crashing through the windshield.

Deng Aimin

Numerous injuries were found on Deng’s body, according to his colleague, Xiao Liang, who was the first to arrive at the scene of the accident after receiving the call. Deng’s left hand was still holding the brake lever when the last breath left his body, Xiao reported, grief-stricken.

Deng’s colleagues said he was a hardworking and reliable person. Over the past 30 years, no travel accidents were ever reported while Deng was on duty. Before each trip, Deng would examine all the important components of his vehicle to ensure a safe journey.

The accident is currently under investigation.