NEAR MISS VIDEO: “In that moment I thought I was going to die”

Former firefighter Brian Hassan this week had a terrifying near miss on the A5 when he was faced with an overtaking van hurtling towards him head-on.

The Strabane man was driving home along the Curr Road outside Omagh at around 4pm on Tuesday when he approached a bend. Expecting a clear lane, he was instead confronted by a white van (video below) overtaking an Expressway bus directly in his path.

Reacting instinctively, he slammed on the brakes and swerved onto the grass verge to avoid a collision. The van narrowly squeezed between the bus and Mr Hassan’s vehicle, avoiding disaster by the slimmest of margins.

“It was just ludicrous the risk that savage driver put me and the bus in from that dangerous manoeuvre,” he said.

“I didn’t shout, swear or slam on the horn but in that moment I thought that I was going to die.”

Mr Hassan, who has 45 years of driving experience as well as extensive training in high-speed emergency driving through the fire service, credits his skills for his survival. However, he fears that another driver might not have been as fortunate.

“I got incredibly lucky… Perhaps if it was someone else they may have not been as lucky.”

The close call reinforced the local man’s long-standing concerns about the dangers of the A5. While reckless drivers bear responsibility for their actions, he believes road improvements are necessary to reduce risks.

“It just goes to show you the dangers of the A5. Many will say it’s down to the driver, and in this case it was, but the road needs upgraded to prevent situations like this.”

To raise awareness, Mr Hassan posted dash-cam footage of the incident on social media, urging motorists to drive cautiously and avoid dangerous overtaking.

“People take chances, more than enough on the A5. But people need to have considerations for other drivers, especially on that road,” he said. “Drivers should expect, in an agricultural area, that there would be lorries and tractors moving slowly on the road – so they should be more careful.”

He concluded, “During my time in the fire service I seen all too many instances of the worst outcomes and after I got home and thought about the near-miss, it set in that it could have been me this time.”