Loreto College teacher bursts into tears in courtroom as he describes nightmares and hearing voices after horror school bus crash
- Truck driver to stand trial over school bus accident
- More than 30 passengers, including children, were injured
- The teacher broke down as he remembered nightmares
- READ MORE: Driver hails a hero after bus crash
A teacher broke down in tears in court and described hearing children’s voices in flashbacks after a horror school bus crash left dozens of students injured.
Truck driver Brett Russell, 61, will stand trial for crashing into a Loreto College school bus on its way to the airport for a NASA space camp on September 21, 2022.
The school bus rolled off an embankment along the Western Highway near Pentland Hills, west of Melbourne, injuring the bus driver, 31 students and teachers.
Russell was charged with 80 offences, including dangerous driving causing serious injury and reckless driving endangering life, after he allegedly rear-ended the Loreto College Ballarat bus.
On Tuesday, Loreto College teacher Scott Antonio gave evidence remotely from Ballarat after suffering soft tissue injuries to his neck and back and psychological injuries in the crash.
He broke down and began crying as he described “constantly hearing voices” from the students after defense attorney John Lavery asked him to explain whether his nightmares and flashbacks were related to the collision.
The school bus rolled down an embankment along the Western Highway near Pentland Hills, west of Melbourne, injuring the bus driver, 31 students and teachers (pictured)
Truck driver Brett Russell was charged with 80 offences, including dangerous driving causing serious injury and reckless driving endangering life, after he allegedly rear-ended the Loreto College Ballarat bus (photo: the crashed truck)
“Mr. Antonio, Mr. Antonio… they are not on the bus, we cannot find them all,” he told the court, describing the voices.
“What I see is… they’re dead.” No one died in the crash.
Mr Antonio was excused from giving evidence because he was ‘visibly and uncontrollably upset’.
The bus was on its way to Melbourne Airport to take the schoolchildren on the trip of a lifetime to the NASA space camp in the United States.
Truck driver Russell, who wore a mask and hoodie outside court, pleaded not guilty to all 80 charges
He will stand trial at the County Court in April
Russell is accused of ignoring signs that his B-double truck, which was towing two trailers, had lost braking power before the crash at around 3.16am on September 21.
During this week’s hearings, Russell’s attorney questioned some of the passengers’ treating doctors and psychologists about the severity of their mental and physical injuries.
Russell has pleaded not guilty to all 80 charges.
He will stand trial in the County Court.
The truck driver, who is still out on bail, will appear in court on April 8.