Lotto winner escapes death in horror Belfast bus crash as police appeal for witnesses
A LOTTO winner had a very lucky escape after a horror bus crash yesterday morning.
Millionaire Peter Lavery and another person were hospitalised after the collision occurred near Belfast City Hall at around 8.50am.
Police rushed to the scene and some bus routes were redirected.
The patients were taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital.
The lucky man is understood to be recovering well since the incident.
His friend told the : “He is fine, he’s alright. Just a bit tired.”
Peter’s winning Lotto ticket bagged him £10.2million (€11.8m) at 34 years old in 1996.
After spending some time in St Lucia in the Caribbean before returning home, Peter set out on a mission to give back.
He brought 20 kids with their parents affected by the Troubles to Disney World Florida.
He set up The Rita Charles Trust in memory of his parents who passed away when he was in his mid-40s.
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Peter appeared in a BBC show recently documenting his efforts to reintroduce whiskey distilling in Belfast.
He opened on the “reality” of his win and how his new lifestyle nearly killed him.
A cocktail of drinking and partying took a toll on his health.
He said: “Doctors’ orders, I had to stop drinking or I wouldn’t be here today.”
Peter said: “When you buy a lottery ticket, you dream of having success, but you never think it’ll ever come.”
The Belfast man told how he was the lucky one out of 33 million players.
He said: “The night I won my fortune there were 33 million people playing the lottery and I had the right six numbers, which is unbelievable.
“It has certainly changed my life and changed the lives of a lot of other people too.”
Peter succeeded in bringing whiskey production back to Belfast.
Translink spokesperson told UTV said: “We can confirm an incident occurred this morning around 8.50am involving a Metro bus in the Donegall Square West area of Belfast City Centre.
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“Emergency services attended the scene and one person was taken to hospital.
“An investigation is underway including the use of CCTV.”
