How family of Hunter Valley bus crash victim Zach Bray found out their loved one had died
Brutal Way Marriage Accident Victim’s Family Found Out He Was On The Doomed Bus – And Their Heartbreaking Reaction When He Didn’t Answer His Phone
- Zachary Bray was one of ten victims in the Hunter Valley bus crash
- His family tracked his phone’s location to the roundabout in Greta
Grief-stricken loved ones of Zachary Bray, who died in the Hunter Valley horror bus crash, say they knew hope was lost when their frantic calls went unanswered.
The 29-year-old was one of 10 people killed when the bus carrying wedding guests crashed into a roundabout on Wine Country Drive near the Hunter Expressway exit near Greta on Sunday.
A further 25 people were injured, nine of whom are still stable in hospital.
Mr. Bray had attended the wedding at Wandin Estate Winery as a friend of bride and groom Madeleine Edsell and Mitchell Gaffney and was friends with most of the passengers aboard the privately chartered bus.
Andrew Varasadi, Mr. Bray’s stepfather, woke up to his wife’s screams when she read a headline about the horror accident the morning after the wedding.
He frantically called his stepson before checking his phone’s location – which revealed the device was at a roundabout in Greta, where the bus was on its side.
“(It) sounds weird to hope that your son is in ICU, but that’s what we were hoping for,” Mr. Varasdi told 7News.
“But then we found out he wasn’t in ICU, so there was only one option left.”
Mr. Varasadi, Zachary Bray’s stepfather, said he was awakened the next morning by a scream from his wife when she read a headline about the horror crash
After overcoming a recent battle with colon cancer, Mr. Bray had become an outspoken advocate for early prevention of the disease in young people.
His uncle, Haydon Bray, said it was “unbelievable” that he had died this way.
“He fought and fought and fought and went through terrible times to come out on the other side,” he said.
‘(It is unbelievable. Cheeky.’
It comes as the driver of the bus, Brett Andrew Button, appeared in court on Tuesday, where he remained silent on his bail application.
He has been charged with 10 counts of dangerous driving resulting in death.
Magistrate Robyn Richardson granted bail to the 58-year-old, saying: ‘It is clear to this court that he is suffering along with the rest of the community’.
Those words, however, were not well received by Zachary’s family, who say that the sympathy for the defendant has left them with a ‘numb’ feeling.
“I think it downplays it and I think judges need to think about what they say and how it affects people who are actually the real victims of this incident,” Varasdi said.
On Thursday, police issued defect and violation notices to Ling Busline, the transportation company involved in the crash, following raids on two separate depots.
Having recently conquered colon cancer, Mr Bray (pictured) had become known as an outspoken advocate for early prevention of the disease in young people
Ten people were killed after a bus carrying wedding guests crashed into a roundabout on Wine Country Drive near the Hunter Expressway exit near Greta (pictured)
Police inspectors and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator inspected 20 buses at stations in Wyong and East Gresford near Newcastle.
Seven defects and two infringements were reported for a cracked windshield, oil leaks, broken seat belts, vehicle lights and seats that were not properly secured.
A statement from Ling Buslines said “One major defect in the fleet has been rectified” and that other minor defects were resolved within timelines provided by the regulator.
Families and friends of the victims gathered at the scene of the tragedy on Thursday evening to thank frontline workers and mourn their loved ones.
Most of the injured survivors have since been released from hospital and the nine remain in stable condition in hospital.