A wild, deadly bus hijacking in Atlanta is stirring up some wild flashbacks for one of the actors from “Speed.”

As we reported, a madman in Atlanta hijacked a city bus, which he used to lead police on an unbelievable high-speed chase … and, during which he allegedly shot and killed a passenger.

Hawthorne James, who played bus driver Sam Silver in the 1994 blockbuster, tells TMZ … he was shocked watching footage of the Atlanta bus bouncing off cars.

It all gave him some serious déjà vu, but, of course, he acknowledges the major difference is Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock and himself always knew they were safe.

Through the years, Hawthorne says he’s seen stories about buses being hijacked or involved in high-speed chases … which always blows his mind ’cause when he was offered “Speed” … he turned it down … twice, because the thought the plot was ridiculous!

Still, the Atlanta incident hits him differently because an innocent bystander lost their life, which he found devastating.

As far as people thinking of “Speed” every time a crime with a bus occurs, Hawthorne says he’s not surprised — the iconic flick made Sandra and Keanu superstars, coincidentally, 30 years ago this month.

Hawthorne says he had no idea while filming they’d created a classic for the ages, but when he attended the glitzy premiere at Hollywood’s famed Chinese Theater … he figured it was something special.