Bus driver Graham Stanley bravely returned to work to question bosses just over a day after a busload of his young passengers were horribly injured in Tuesday’s accident.
Graham Stanley, 52, from Melton, west of Melbourne’s CBD, got up at the crack of dawn to return to Christians Bus Company, despite still having to accept his ordeal.
Mr Stanley’s wife, Sussanne, told Daily Mail Australia that her husband was deeply affected by the crash.
Bus driver Graham Stanley returns home on Thursday with the help of a crutch
Bus driver and grandfather Graham Stanley (above, with wife Sussanne) bravely went back to work on Thursday to question his bosses
Seven children are still in hospital after the horrific crash. Pictured is the bus wreck at the junction of Exford Road and Murphys Road in Eynesbury
“It’s been very traumatic for him,” she said. “Unfortunately the circumstances, that’s what happened,” she said.
‘He is doing well. He’s got some injuries to deal with.’
Mr Stanley’s children came to the family home on Thursday to be close to their father, who came home just before 3pm using a crutch.
Ms Stanley said they were limited in what they could discuss about the crash, which is still being investigated by specialist crash detectives.
The pair have also limited their intake of news bulletins about the crash in an effort to protect Mr. Stanley’s mental well-being.
We even stayed away from TV. We didn’t really look at what happened. We hear little bits and pieces, but that’s all,” she said.
Mr. Stanley refused to speak to a waiting media pack and gave a thumbs up to a friend who had dropped him off at home.
A former colleague of Mr Stanley, who wished to remain anonymous, told Daily Mail Australia that he was a dedicated and much loved driver.
“I talked to him every day I went in there. He has no bad character,’ he said.
“All I know is he had minor cuts and abrasions and of course after dealing with…well, use your imagination.”
The man suggested that Mr. Stanley was shown a scene of absolute chaos.
“What are you going to do if you’re hit on a bus and all those kids are strapped in seatbelts,” he said.
‘Now you can’t undo a seatbelt when it’s under load and everyone’s on their side, so he’ll have to make do with it.
The school bus was reported to have been hit from behind by a lorry and overturned on the corner of Exford and Murphys Rd in Eynesbury, 35 miles from Melbourne, at around 3:40pm on Tuesday.
On board were 45 children from Exford Primary School, some of whom suffered life-changing injuries. One pupil underwent a ‘complete’ amputation and others lost parts of their limbs.
Lorry driver and father-of-two Jamie Robert Gleeson, 49, was released on bail on Wednesday after being charged with four counts of dangerous driving resulting in serious injury.
Truck driver and Gleeson’s employer L & J Cartage issued a statement Thursday.
Our heart goes out to everyone involved, especially the children and their families.
“We are deeply shocked and saddened by what has happened.”
It also confirmed that Gleeson had 20 years of experience driving trucks and had been with the company for more than 15 years.
With the help of family, Mr. Stanley gives a thumbs up after being dropped off at home on Thursday
A court heard on Wednesday how truck driver Jamie Gleeson (pictured) helped pull children from the wreckage of the bus shortly after the crash
Lorry driver Jamie Robert Gleeson (pictured left) reportedly told police he saw the ‘sun flickering’ between the trees just before the crash
The court heard on Wednesday that Gleeson told police he saw the “sun flicker” between the trees in the moments before the crash and also that after the accident he stopped at the scene, called triple-0 and began helping to rescue children from the wreckage. to fetch.
Gleeson was still wearing an orange high-vis shirt when he appeared at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday afternoon.
Prosecutor Ben Kerlin read the police summary and said Gleeson told police he was on his “usual route home” at the time, going about 43 mph.
“Before I know it, the bus slowed down in front of me,” he allegedly told police.
“I tried to take evasive action, but it didn’t work, and if I could have swerved around it, I would have.”
Mr Kerlin said Gleeson reported seeing ‘sun flashes’ through trees that he knew could distort his vision.
“Whether that played a role in what happened… I couldn’t say,” he said, according to the documents.
A school bus carrying children from Exford Primary School in Melbourne’s west has reportedly been hit by a lorry from behind and overturned
Gleeson is said to have told police that in such circumstances he would usually respond by slowing down, but on this occasion he did not.
The prosecutor said the court’s police would need a long time to prepare the case and asked for 16 weeks to take into account the “large number of children involved” and the magnitude of the collision.
He added that Gleeson may face “additional costs” as the investigation into the crash continues.
Gleeson returned negative blood tests for both drugs and alcohol,
His lawyer successfully applied for bail, saying there was “no allegation that he was attempting to abscond or minimize his involvement.”
Seven children are still in hospital on Thursday morning, one of them in intensive care. All are in a stable condition.
The children suffered multiple and traumatic injuries ranging from partial to full amputations, crushed limbs and severe cuts to their heads and bodies.
Four will require further surgery.