DRIVER Wong Kwok-shing, who saved the lives of more than 30 passengers on a runaway tram, was in mourning yesterday for his colleague.
He had trouble holding back his tears as he told how a routine tram ride from Shau Kei Wan had turned to tragedy.
'I can only say that I have already tried my best. But I couldn't save his life,' Mr Wong said.
Driver Sze Tat-tung jumped from the tram when the speed control device caught fire as it headed from Happy Valley towards Shau Kei Wan on Monday. He was hit by a tram coming in the opposite direction, driven by Mr Wong.
Sze, sacked from his job as a dye worker six months ago, joined the tram company in October through the retraining board.
He had finished eight weeks' training and had been driving a tram for only a fortnight.
Mr Wong said: 'I had already hit the driver and I couldn't change that. But I could run to stop the tram and prevent more passengers getting hurt.