Prior 'concerns' about the Hunter Valley bus crash driver emerge
- Replies 8
As you all know, the safety of grandchildren is a top priority. When schools organise excursions, we expect that our grandchildren will be safe and well-cared for, including during their journey to and from their destination.
However, a concerning report has emerged regarding the Hunter Valley bus crash driver who was allegedly already raising concerns during a recent school excursion.
In fact, the teachers were so worried about the driver's behaviour that they reported their concerns to the principal just days before the tragic Hunter Valley accident took place.
The driver, 58-year-old Brett Button, was transporting a group of students from Green Point Christian College on a three-and-a-half-hour journey to Bathurst for an educational excursion about colonial and gold rush-era Australia.
On Wednesday, Principal Phillip Nash shared in an email to parents that the teachers had concerns about the bus driver during this trip.
‘On the trip to Bathurst, our teachers raised concerns about the driver and reported them at the end of the trip as per our usual procedures,’ Nash wrote.
While the teachers didn't feel the need to contact the school during the trip, they did report the concerns afterwards.
This raised questions about what exactly transpired during the journey to cause alarm amongst the chaperoning teachers.
‘We ask staff to report anything of concern...Their concerns were not such that they felt they needed to contact us on the trip,’ the email read.
‘It has come to our attention that the driver of the Hunter Valley accident was also one of the drivers who took our Year 5 students to Bathurst last week. We wanted to be transparent with you about this connection,’ the email continued.
‘We have now written to the bus company expressing our concerns and are forwarding the letter to the police who are investigating the Hunter Valley crash.’
Sadly, just days after this school trip, Button was driving a coach full of wedding guests back to Singleton when the bus crashed near the entrance to the Hunter Valley Expressway, resulting in the heartbreaking loss of 10 lives and dozens of injuries.
The school has since written to the bus company, Linq, and the police investigating the crash to express their concerns about the driver's behaviour during the school excursion.
In an emotional letter, Principal Nash wrote, ‘We are very thankful to God for His protection over your children and remain very aware of the responsibility we have when we take your children away on a trip even for a day.’
He continued: ‘Please be assured that we take this responsibility seriously and do all we can to ensure they are safe.’
A Linq spokeswoman said that the company was made aware of the complaint only after being contacted recently.
‘The concerns raised in the letter had not been brought to our attention until today,’ she said, adding that Button had passed an independent driver assessment and his references were checked before he was hired as a driver.
‘As with all of our drivers, Mr Button was only engaged after he passed an independent driver assessment and his references were checked.’
Mr Button was also reported to have no criminal history and no serious traffic history in the decades he’s driven on the road. He has been released on bail following the incident.
Police opposed this release, however, as they told the court that there were at least ten witnesses who claimed that Mr Button engaged in a ‘prolonged period’ of reckless driving.
‘Fasten your seatbelts,’ Mr Button allegedly told passengers. You can read more on this here.
While we’re on the topic, it is important to be diligent and communicate effectively with the schools, transport companies, and authorities to ensure our grandchildren's safety is never put at risk.
Our hearts go out to the families affected by this tragedy, and we admire the teachers who reported their concerns – it just goes to show that we should trust our instincts when it comes to the safety and well-being of our loved ones.
We urge all of our members to exercise extra caution when travelling. This is a terrible tragedy that we hope will never be repeated.
If you have any tips or stories to share, please let us know in the comments below.
However, a concerning report has emerged regarding the Hunter Valley bus crash driver who was allegedly already raising concerns during a recent school excursion.
In fact, the teachers were so worried about the driver's behaviour that they reported their concerns to the principal just days before the tragic Hunter Valley accident took place.
The driver, 58-year-old Brett Button, was transporting a group of students from Green Point Christian College on a three-and-a-half-hour journey to Bathurst for an educational excursion about colonial and gold rush-era Australia.
On Wednesday, Principal Phillip Nash shared in an email to parents that the teachers had concerns about the bus driver during this trip.
Ten wedding guests were killed while more were injured in one of the deadliest bus crashes recorded in decades. Credit: Jennifer Grube/Pexels
‘On the trip to Bathurst, our teachers raised concerns about the driver and reported them at the end of the trip as per our usual procedures,’ Nash wrote.
While the teachers didn't feel the need to contact the school during the trip, they did report the concerns afterwards.
This raised questions about what exactly transpired during the journey to cause alarm amongst the chaperoning teachers.
‘We ask staff to report anything of concern...Their concerns were not such that they felt they needed to contact us on the trip,’ the email read.
An excerpt of the email sent to parents. Credit: Supplied/Sydney Morning Herald
‘It has come to our attention that the driver of the Hunter Valley accident was also one of the drivers who took our Year 5 students to Bathurst last week. We wanted to be transparent with you about this connection,’ the email continued.
‘We have now written to the bus company expressing our concerns and are forwarding the letter to the police who are investigating the Hunter Valley crash.’
Sadly, just days after this school trip, Button was driving a coach full of wedding guests back to Singleton when the bus crashed near the entrance to the Hunter Valley Expressway, resulting in the heartbreaking loss of 10 lives and dozens of injuries.
The school has since written to the bus company, Linq, and the police investigating the crash to express their concerns about the driver's behaviour during the school excursion.
In an emotional letter, Principal Nash wrote, ‘We are very thankful to God for His protection over your children and remain very aware of the responsibility we have when we take your children away on a trip even for a day.’
He continued: ‘Please be assured that we take this responsibility seriously and do all we can to ensure they are safe.’
A Linq spokeswoman said that the company was made aware of the complaint only after being contacted recently.
‘The concerns raised in the letter had not been brought to our attention until today,’ she said, adding that Button had passed an independent driver assessment and his references were checked before he was hired as a driver.
‘As with all of our drivers, Mr Button was only engaged after he passed an independent driver assessment and his references were checked.’
Mr Button was also reported to have no criminal history and no serious traffic history in the decades he’s driven on the road. He has been released on bail following the incident.
Police opposed this release, however, as they told the court that there were at least ten witnesses who claimed that Mr Button engaged in a ‘prolonged period’ of reckless driving.
‘Fasten your seatbelts,’ Mr Button allegedly told passengers. You can read more on this here.
While we’re on the topic, it is important to be diligent and communicate effectively with the schools, transport companies, and authorities to ensure our grandchildren's safety is never put at risk.
We urge all of our members to exercise extra caution when travelling. This is a terrible tragedy that we hope will never be repeated.
If you have any tips or stories to share, please let us know in the comments below.
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