Wu Bin (Driver)

Wu Bin (March 8, 1965 - June 1, 2012, ) was a Hangzhou intercity bus driver. He earned praise and respect from Chinese society and is considered to be "the most beautiful driver" because even after he was struck by a piece of iron while driving a bus, which seriously injured him, he managed to firmly control the bus, completed safety measures, and helped the passengers leave the vehicle.

Event
On May 29, 2012, when Wu Bin was driving a bus from Wuxi to Hangzhou on an expressway, a piece of iron broke through the glass and hit his abdomen and arm. This lacerated his liver and caused his bone to fracture, however, he bore the heavy pain and safely stopped the bus. Then, he helped passengers leave the bus, warning them to be careful of the passing cars. He was quickly sent to a hospital, however, he died on June 1. It was said that his pain equaled that of being hit by a bullet.

Investigation
The Wuxi police confirmed that the piece of iron which hit Wu Bin was part of a brake pad of a red Dongfeng truck and announced that the event was an accident. The police later found the truck and took parts away for further investigation, but did not arrest the truck driver. Legal opinion differs as to whether the truck driver has any criminal or civil liability in this case.

Social reaction
After Wu Bin passed away, he was treated with honor and his family received 100 thousand RMB from the government. Zhao Hongzhu, the lead of CPC Zhejiang branch, also went to his home to give condolences. Many common people were touched by his actions as well. On June 4, 2012, thousands of Hangzhou citizens attended his funeral and gave him their best wishes. .

Wu Bin was named "China's most virtuous driver" (the Chinese word 'mei' 美 can signify both 'beautiful' and 'good' or 'virtuous'). He joined several perivious 'common people' who become national heroes in a moment (such as 'most beautiful teacher' Zhang Lili or 'most beautiful mother' Wu Juping) due to acts of self-sacrifice that show dedication towards one's job, people in need and society. An article by Xinhua News Agency claimed that this is "the age of commoner heroes". An article by Thinking Chinese suggested that these new heroes become so popular since they represent an intersection between 'reality culture' and 'traditional values' and between the interests of the government and the emotional chords of modern society.