The truck driver’s family has been sued over a horror bus accident in which several children were seriously injured and had to undergo amputations.
The mother of 49-year-old driver Jamie Gleeson, whose large lorry and trailer allegedly crashed into a bus carrying primary school children in Eynesbury in western Melbourne on Tuesday afternoon, told Daily Mail Australia her family was distraught over the incident.
“We’re all pretty upset about it,” Chris Gleeson said.
“We also feel for the children’s families.”
Gleeson was driving an ACT registered lorry and trailer when it reportedly crashed into the back of an Exford Primary School bus carrying 45 children at about 3.40pm Tuesday.
Ten children aged five to 11 suffered traumatic or serious injuries, one of them catastrophic, while Gleeson suffered minor injuries and is in police custody.
Truck driver Jamie Gleeson, 49, (above) has been charged after the catastrophic bus accident that injured schoolchildren, who required surgery to amputate a limb
Pupils from Exford Primary School were on their way home when a lorry hit the school bus from behind in Eynesbury, 27 miles west of Melbourne CBD
Police have charged Mr Gleeson and are investigating whether he was paying attention behind the wheel.
He was charged with four counts of dangerous driving with serious injuries and appeared via video link at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
A gruff Gleeson appeared on screen still wearing the hi-vis gear he was wearing at the time of the crash.
The father of two boys is a car and shooting enthusiast and longtime truck driver from Balliang East near Bacchus Marsh west of Melbourne.
Gleeson is the son of legendary Victorian trotter and trainer, Ginger Gleeson.
Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Cruse said he expected the lorry driver to face additional charges, but did not specify which ones.
Supt Cruse said many of the passersby and teachers who reacted to the “confrontational” scene would have known the students involved.
“The bus driver, even though he was injured, I understand he helped some kids off the bus,” Cruse said at a news conference.
‘Then we had passers-by who heroically stopped immediately and assisted in assisting the children who could be taken off the bus.
‘It was chaotic. That would have been very confrontational for those passers-by.’
Police are investigating the cause of the accident, including ‘inattentiveness’ and whether the truck driver was speeding
The horror crash seriously injured several children, some of whom had to be amputated
Supt Cruse said “inattentiveness” was something police were actively investigating, as well as whether the truck driver had been speeding.
He said the school bus was fitted with seat belts, but he did not know if the children were wearing them.
Lisa Campo, headmistress of Exford Primary School, said she initially thought the students had had a minor accident.
Ms Campo said she and the majority of teaching staff rushed to the scene of the crash after receiving a call from a community member.
“Myself, the deputy director and our staff put our arms around the children. I know we’re not supposed to have kids, but that’s what they need,” she said.
Senior Sergeant Paul Lineham of the Major Collision Investigation Unit claimed the bus was attempting to turn right onto another road when it was hit from behind by the lorry.
“That may have reduced the actual impact of the truck itself,” Lineham told 3AW.
“We don’t use the term ‘fortunate’ because of course there is an incredibly unfortunate coincidence, but this had the potential to cause multiple fatalities.”
Gleeson is an old truck driver from Balliang East near Bacchus Marsh west of Melbourne
Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Cruse and Exford Primary School Principal Lisa Campo addressed the media outside the school on Wednesday
Children were trapped on the bus before witnesses and rescuers pulled them from the wreckage and took them to hospital
Following the accident, a Code Brown was declared, an emergency response for hospitals anticipating mass casualties.
Specialist doctors were called in to perform emergency operations at the Royal Children’s Hospital after seven children were admitted and two discharged.
Several were treated for ‘degloving’ injuries that occur when the top layers of skin are ripped away from the underlying muscles, tissues or bones.
Pupils from Exford Primary School were on their way home when a lorry collided with the school bus from behind.
Children were trapped on the bus before witnesses and rescuers were able to pull them out of the wreckage and provide assistance.
Parents had to wait anxiously overnight before they were finally reunited with their children early Wednesday morning.
The seven children are still in a serious condition: four will be operated on overnight, one in intensive care and another two will go to the theater on Wednesday.
Bernadette McDonald, managing director of Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital, said one child has so far had a full limb amputation as a result of their injuries.
The lorry and school bus collided at the corner of Exford and Murphys Road in Eynesbury, about 44 km west of Melbourne’s CBD
“The children suffered multiple and traumatic injuries, including partial and full amputations of arms, multiple limb injuries, severe lacerations to the head and body, head injuries and broken glass injuries,” Ms McDonald told reporters.
“Three patients are currently on spinal support and are being carefully monitored for spinal cord injury.”
Multiple surgeons are on hand, including the hospital’s own doctors and vascular and specialist microplastic surgeons from the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
“You would understand that with injuries like this, very small vessels need to be repaired and reattached,” said Ms McDonald.
Many of the children will require multiple surgeries in the coming days and weeks, and long-term rehabilitation therapy is likely.
Ms McDonald said the situation was very traumatic.
“We have a number of very traumatized families and children in our hospital right now. We are working very hard to provide that trauma help and care that they will need not just now but in the weeks and months to come,” she said.
Counselors go to Exford Primary School to help students come to terms with the tragedy.
Prime Minister Daniel Andrews said he had been in contact with the school’s principal, Lisa Campo.
“The reason I called Lisa again last night and again this morning was to make sure she knew and understood that ‘whatever you ask… the answer will be yes’. We’re here for you,” he told reporters.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the crash was horrific.
“My heart goes out to them and their families at what must be an extremely difficult time,” he told reporters.
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