Current Driver charged after wedding bus crash kills 10 people - NSW

[Kurve]

Ten people returning from a “fairytale” wedding in Australia’s Hunter Valley wine region have been killed in a devastating bus crash. More than 20 others have been taken to hospital with various injuries after the bus overturned late on Sunday night.

The 58-year-old driver has been arrested and charges are pending, while a crime scene has been declared at the site of the crash.

Hunter Valley: driver arrested after wedding bus crash kills 10 people in Australia

Police say 25 others were taken to hospital by helicopter and road after the coach rolled on Wine Country Drive just after 11.30pm on Sunday

www.theguardian.com

Some were able to free themselves and walk to get help.

 

[Kurve]

The 58-year-old bus driver from Maitland was taken to hospital under police guard for mandatory testing and assessment.

He has been charged with 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death — drive manner dangerous, and negligent driving (occasioning death).

 

[BFew]

Edit: Most of all, drive buses and coaches slowly around roundabouts, especially in foggy or other dangerous driving conditions.
Or pull over safely until conditions improve if too dangerous to drive.
Drive safely at all times.

Always buckle up when you are on a bus/coach, if it has seatbelts.
And kindly remind your fellow passengers to also do so.

Sounds like some of the passengers were not in their seats around the time of the crash.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-nsw/hunter-valley-bus-drivers-alleged-boast-before-horror-crash-that-killed-10-wedding-guests/news-story/ba854cd81459022ebcdcf2afd32d5783

'Hunter Valley bus driver’s alleged boast before horror crash that killed 10 wedding guests​

June 12, 2023 - 10:22PM

A bus driver charged over a horror Hunter Valley crash that claimed the lives of 10 passengers on their way home from a wedding allegedly made a chilling boast to those on board just seconds before tragedy struck.

Brett Andrew Button, 58, allegedly told passengers “if you think that was fast … watch this” moments before he lost control of the coach he was driving at a roundabout on Wine Country Drive near the Hunter Expressway off ramp at Greta.

Multiple survivors have told police and close friends Button allegedly made the remarks over the vehicle’s internal microphone minutes after leaving the wedding of Madeleine Edsell and Mitchell Gaffney.

Other survivors have told close friends that the speed of the bus had prompted them to tell other passengers to get back into their seats as the bus approached the roundabout in thick fog.
...
A report will now be prepared for the coroner with Commissioner Webb saying that the use of seatbelts will undoubtedly be one of the matters looked at.

“Whether they were actually wearing seatbelts or not … certainly all of that will come under scrutiny,” she said.

“Again that will be a matter the coroner will have a look and ultimately the driver will have to think about that for the rest of his life.”
...'

 

[HAPPY CHEFFY]

Driver gonna be doing a lot of time by the sounds of it. Bloody idiot.

 

[BFew]

Driver gonna be doing a lot of time by the sounds of it. Bloody idiot.

Even moreso, if he pleads not guilty.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

How can ten people die when the bus hasn't hit anything?

 

[BFew]

How can ten people die when the bus hasn't hit anything?

Possibly when after it rolled, it slid off the side of the road not long before it came to a stop, down a bit of a slope/dip in the side of the road, with the downside windows no longer there, and gravity and some gaps between the window frames and the sloping/dipped ground ..... don't use your imagination too much, or you might not sleep well tonight.

 

[tandino]

Possibly when after it rolled, it slip off the side of the road not long before it came to a stop, down a bit ofa slope/dip in the side of the road, with the downside windows no longer there, and gravity and some gaps between the window frames and the sloping/dipped ground ..... don't use your imagination too much, or you might not sleep well tonight.

Some of the bodies were still in (?) the bus this afternoon until they could crane the thing back on it's wheels. Not nice.

 

[HAPPY CHEFFY]

How can ten people die when the bus hasn't hit anything?

Ffs it flipped and hit the ground at high speed.

 

[BFew]

the bus hasn't hit anything?

Obviously you hadn't seen this pic with the sloping concrete side of the road and the metal barrier/fence it hit too.

 

[ABSOLUTE MADMAN]

Possibly when after it rolled, it slid off the side of the road not long before it came to a stop, down a bit of a slope/dip in the side of the road, with the downside windows no longer there, and gravity and some gaps between the window frames and the sloping/dipped ground ..... don't use your imagination too much, or you might not sleep well tonight.

Obviously you hadn't seen this pic with the sloping concrete side of the road and the metal barrier/fence it hit too.

View attachment 1711496

That's ****ed.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Possibly when after it rolled, it slid off the side of the road not long before it came to a stop, down a bit of a slope/dip in the side of the road, with the downside windows no longer there, and gravity and some gaps between the window frames and the sloping/dipped ground ..... don't use your imagination too much, or you might not sleep well tonight.

I don't think it rolled,.as in rolled over, it just flipped on it's side.

My brother, who is a bus driver, and I were asking the same question yesterday. We were thinking most of the dead were maybe on the left and not.wearing seatbelts, when it flipped it just smashes their heads onto the hard surfaces of the windows and road. Everything and everyone on the right then just falls on top of them.

The MC of the wedding who was on the bus has pretty much confirmed this.

There was a bus crash in the early hours of the morning in November last year between Ballarat and Melbourne. That bus did actually roll over after being smashed into from behind by a speeding truck and being pushed down an embankment, it was full of school kids as well as the driver and 4 teachers. All wearing seatbelts, no deaths.

 

[BFew]

I don't think it rolled,.as in rolled over, it just flipped on it's side.

I agree.
I meant it rolled 90 degrees (only) and then slid on its side.
Rolled was the wrong word to use.
Tipped on its side would better describe it.
They initial impact with the side of the bus on the road Would have been catastrophic in itself. Even more so if some seats broke off their mounts during the tip or upon impact.

If any of the upper side structure of the bus did not stay intact upon first impact with the road, that would be investigated.

How balanced the bus was as it rounded the roundabout (luggage and people) will also likely be investigated.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Is there any suggestion driver under the influence or just showing off?

Not sure what's worse to be honest?

 

[Xtreme]

Bet the driver feels like a real cowboy hero right now. Always stick to the speed limit and don't show off.

 

[dumb]

from the photos too high a speed was obviously involved while turning. white marks on the road probably the bus paint. bit too festive for people to think about seatbelts.
people still inside while the vehicle was righted...

 

[BFew]

As the bus hit and/or went over the raised kerb and guard rail (or anything else solid and raised like sign posts, or poles, before it came to rest) the damage to the left side of the bus sliding along the ground would have likely been catastrophic.

 

[fs88]

Also feel for the newlyweds who have unnecessarily had their wedding photos now plastered across every media outlet in Aus. They had nothing to do with the crash itself, it's really unfair to have all of those private moments in the public spotlight.

Shows how media outlets drop all integrity and turn into the Daily Mail over a decent disaster event.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Obviously you hadn't seen this pic with the sloping concrete side of the road and the metal barrier/fence it hit too.

View attachment 1711496

Looking at.that properly, it looks like it's possibly slid along the road and into the metal barrier rather than tipping over straight on top of it.

He's paid to be a professional driver, he's gonna be in a world of hurt,.complete cleanskin but seriously should get some substantial jail time.

 

[BFew]

Looking at.that properly, it looks like it's possibly slid along the road and into the metal barrier rather than tipping over straight on top of it.

That's was my first thought and current thought (trying not to think about it), and why I posted the particular pic in this thread with what clearly looked the slide mark on the road from the incident.

The below 154 page dissertation might be useful for any discussion of this.

https://sear.unisq.edu.au/31424/1/James_J_Drysdale.pdf

'University of Southern Queensland Faculty of Engineering and Surveying Evaluation of the use of Safety Barriers on Roundabouts
A Dissertation submitted by Jake James In fulfilment of the requirements of ENG4111 and 41112
Research Project Towards the degree of Bachelor of Engineering (Civil)
Submitted October 2016'

'...
This report has found that safety barriers cannot be expected to operate in an ideal manor at roundabout locations.

The overriding conclusion of this dissertation is that the treatment of now known geometric deficiencies will provide a reduction in off carriageway crashes that were previously overrepresented on NSW roads and the cause for safety barrier treatments to be installed in roundabout intersection environments.

Safety barriers do still have a purpose in these environments as it is necessary to protect hazards that may not be feasible or possible to remove. Safety barriers should be installed after all possible works to reduce the inherent design deficiencies has been completed to reduce any residual risk.
...'

 

[BFew]

... this pic with the sloping concrete side of the road ??? and the metal barrier/fence it hit too.

View attachment 1711496

See below Google Streetview (June 2022 pic) of what I think is the location from the view of someone driving clockwise near that Western exit section of the roundabout on the South side of the roundabout. Alongside a June 2022 Streetview pic from if one was looking out the rear window of a vehicle at that location.

On the right side of the Streetview shot below, one can see the large green and white exit signpost to Singleton where they were reported to be heading to get to their accomodation, and I presume the driver was meant to exit the roundabout.

Hunter Valley: driver arrested after wedding bus crash kills 10 people in Australia

Police say 25 others were taken to hospital by helicopter and road after the coach rolled on Wine Country Drive just after 11.30pm on Sunday

www.theguardian.com

 

[BFew]

Here's a great place to start on road barriers (see below youtube)

Not sure how much testing has been done on a bus of that size tipping on its side before it slides into or onto a metal guardrail secured by metal posts. (what happened to the metal posts upon impact/slide?)

Stopping buses lose control or tipping, flipping or rolling over is probably way more important than what type of barrier or rail there is on a roundabout.

That and not having trees, walls (natural or mandmade) too close to a roundabout, and a big enough 'clearzone'.

Although if there was no barrier at this accident site, the bus sliding into a bigger clearzone, might have resulted in even more deaths and severe injuries depending on the slop of the clearzone and how much longer the slide lasted.

 

[Bucking Bronco]

Who the fk is this young dude?

Did they film the wrong bloke coming out of court, hence why he is trying to staunch the camera crews at the end??

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

I think this is him.



The family look like bogan clowns.
He has to get at least 20 years imo.

 

[Bucking Bronco]

I think this is him.

View attachment 1711771

The family look like bogan clowns.
He has to get at least 20 years imo.

Yeah, looking remorseful...

Looks like the type of unit to be involved in the horse racing industry if you don't mind me saying.