Turkish bus passenger almost wiped out by rogue tyre

Quick reflexes saved a Turkish man from being run over in an unconventional fashion after a huge tyre shed by a passing truck came hurtling towards him.

The unwitting punter had just exited a small bus and was stretching his legs in Zongdulak, on the country's north coast, when the tyre, as high as his waist, worked its way off the axle of a semi-trailer and came at him as if it was heat-seeking.

Somehow the fellow managed to check his step at precisely the right instant, even appearing to suck in his gut as the 50-odd kilos of rubber whizzed by.

The tyre was stopped in its tracks by a dark-coloured sedan sitting in the corner of the carpark, no doubt to the great delight of its erstwhile owner.

The bus passenger, meanwhile, stayed rooted to the spot for a few long moments after the near-miss, scanning his surrounds dumbfounded but perfectly intact.