Martine Patey, a newbie on her first Rail Replacement bus duty, had no idea what was in store for her when she set off for Eastbourne on Sunday morning. Little did she know, she would end up wrangling a runaway sheep on the A27!
According to Martine, she spotted a coach parked with its hazards on and noticed a flash of white run out from behind it, causing chaos for passing cars. Being the animal lover that she is, Martine immediately sprang into action and pulled over to help the lost sheep get to safety.
The sheep was running all over the road,” said Martine. “It was difficult to catch, but then it slipped just in front of me and I was able to get hold of it and to use my handbag strap like a lasso. Two other motorists had stopped to help and together we were able to hold onto it until the police arrived.”
The police instructed Martine to take the sheep to a local farm until the farmer arrived to safely return it to his truck. Meanwhile, Martine continued her journey to Eastbourne, arriving only one minute late. What a morning!
Check out the photo of Martine and her new woolly companion on the bus – talk about a baa-dass hero! It’s important to note, however, that Martine was not driving the bus at the time the photo was taken. She was stationary with the handbrake on and engine off.
Well done, Martine! You’ve certainly earned your stripes as a Rail Replacement bus driver – or should we say, shepherd?
