In the nation’s deadliest traffic accident in over 30 years, a bus transporting wedding guests fell over on a foggy night in Australia’s wine region, killing 10 people and wounding 25, according to police. The bus driver was prosecuted on Monday.
According to a police statement, Brett Button has been held since the collision on Sunday night and will show up in court on Tuesday to answer numerous accusations of reckless and careless driving.
Since a bus in Brisbane fell on its side over a highway and down a steep slope, killing 12 people and injuring 38 more, it has been Australia’s deadliest traffic tragedy.
The collision on Sunday took place in foggy conditions just after 11:30 p.m. in the town of Greta in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, north of Sydney.
According to Chapman, the visitors had attended a wedding at the Wandin Estate Winery and were on their way to their lodgings in Singleton. One visitor told Seven News that the wedding was like something out of a fairytale.
According to a driver who passed the scene of the collision, only known as Alison, the fog was so thick that she was unable to distinguish the hues of the police, ambulance, and fire engines’ flashing lights.
She told the ABC that the fog was horrible. You have very little visibility in front of you.
One of the 25 injured people was in critical condition, and several others were still being treated in hospitals, according to the state government. The others’ circumstances were classified as stable.
Police reported that 18 passengers were unharmed. However, later reports said that just the driver, the 25 injured, and the 10 deceased were aboard the bus. The 18 passengers who were transported to the hospital had the least severe injuries.
Investigators have not yet discovered what caused the bus to roll on its side, according to Police Commissioner Karen Webb.
For some time, the cause might not be understood. It will need to be examined scientifically,” Webb told reporters.
The wearing of seatbelts by passengers also “will come under scrutiny,” Webb added.
Rescuers reportedly broke the front window of the bus to free passengers, according to Chapman.
According to reports in the media, the bus involved in the collision was owned by Linq Buslines, which offers school buses and event charters. According to its website, seatbelts are standard on all of its buses.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the “mental scars of this will not go away.” He congratulated first responders and extended government support to victims and their families.
“It is so cruel, so sad, and so unfair for a joyful day like that, in a beautiful place, to end with such terrible loss of life and injury,” Albanese told reporters.
“People hire buses for weddings to ensure the security of their guests. And that only serves to highlight this tragedy’s unbelievable scope, he continued.
The incident, according to Cessnock Mayor Jay Suvaal, was “truly horrific.”
The Hunter Valley is a popular wedding and tourism destination, so there will likely be visitors from all over the state and the country who have been there and done similar things, he said. “I believe it will shock the entire community,” the speaker said.
Greta is located in the gorgeous Hunter Valley wine region, which is home to several vineyards and dining establishments. It was Australia’s first wine region to be formed.
The wedding took place in the middle of a long weekend, and most Australian states have a public holiday on Monday.
