Trainee Bus Driver Rescued After Vehicle Plunges Into River Seine

A trainee bus driver drove a vehicle into the River Seine on Thursday morning after reportedly hitting a parked car and losing control near Juvisy-sur-Orge, officials have said.

The incident happened around 20km (12 miles) south of Paris, prompting a major emergency response involving firefighters, police officers and rescue divers.

According to the local transport authority, the driver was nearing the end of her practical training and was completing one of her final supervised driving sessions when the accident occurred.

A spokesperson for Île-de-France Mobilités said the trainee was accompanied by a lead driver, while two additional passengers were also on board at the time of the crash.

Officials confirmed that drug and alcohol tests carried out after the incident were negative, and the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The Essonne Prefecture said all four people on board were successfully rescued from the water. More than 90 firefighters, alongside divers and police personnel, took part in the recovery operation.

Juvisy-sur-Orge Mayor Lamia Bensara Reda said the driver had lost control of the bus near a station close to the riverbank before the vehicle plunged into the Seine and dragged a parked car with it.

“Everyone was quickly rescued and, thankfully, is safe and sound,” she said in a post shared on Facebook.

Witnesses described a rapid response from members of the public before emergency services arrived. A local resident, 55-year-old Elisabeth, said bystanders rushed to help and threw life rings into the river to assist those trapped in the water.

The president of the transport authority has since ordered an internal investigation into the incident to determine exactly what led to the crash and whether additional safety measures may be needed during driver training.

Local politician Claire Lejeune also commented on the incident on X, confirming that the bus had fallen into the Seine with four people on board, including the trainee driver, and praised emergency responders for their swift action.

Authorities are continuing their investigation as recovery efforts at the scene move forward.