A school bus driver has relived the moment he regained consciousness and began helping students following a horrific crash in Melbourne’s west.
Graham Stanley was taking children home from Exford Primary School, in Melbourne’s northwest, when his bus overturned on the afternoon of May 16 last year.
He recounted memories of the crash in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday as truck driver Jamie Gleeson, 50, faces a committal hearing that will decide whether the dangerous driving case goes to trial.
Prosecutors allege the bus, carrying 45 primary school students, was struck from behind while attempting to turn at the intersection of Exford Rd and Murphys Rd around 3.45pm.
Dozens of students were injured in the incident, ranging from minor scratches to life-threatening injuries and amputations.
Injuries suffered by the schoolchildren in the accident (pictured: the school bus after the incident) ranged from minor scratches to life-threatening injuries and amputations.
Sitting on the witness stand, Stanley told the court that he slowed down as he approached the intersection, but could not remember if he stopped completely.
He said he looked in the mirror and saw two headlights approaching from behind and tried to speed up around the corner.
He told the court he did not remember hearing any screeching brakes, but there was a lot of noise coming from the energetic Year 3 to Year 6 students.
“I couldn’t push (the pedal) harder because the turn was too tight,” he said.
The incident prompted a major emergency services response (pictured: the bus after the incident).
The court was told he heard a “crunch and breaking glass” when the bus was hit, and believes he lost consciousness momentarily.
Stanley suffered an ankle injury, a head laceration and back pain, but said he woke up lying on the side of the bus and began helping get students out through the emergency hatch.
Gleeson was arrested at the scene and charged with four counts of dangerous driving causing serious injury the following day.
At a court hearing a day after the incident, police alleged Gleeson had just finished a shift driving clay and was driving home at about 70 km/h when the accident occurred.
Jamie Gleeson had been a truck driver for 18 years.
He allegedly stopped and helped the injured students, and later told police there was a “flickering in the trees due to sunlight.”
“The next thing I knew, the bus in front slowed down,” he allegedly said.
“I tried to take evasive action but I couldn’t.”
Both Mr Stanley and another driver, David Woods, told the court it was a sunny afternoon but they did not experience any “sun flickering”.
“I didn’t have any visibility problems, but it was a sunny day,” Woods said.
Woods, who was driving behind Gleeson’s truck, said he did not see any brake lights or indicators on the school bus.
The court was told the speed limit on Exford Rd, near the crash site, had been reduced to 40km/h.
The pretrial hearing, which is expected to last two days, continues.