Teachers raised concerns about the driver accused in the Hunter Valley bus crash days before the horror wedding night tragedy, it has emerged.
Brett Button has been charged with 10 counts of dangerous driving causing death over Sunday’s bus crash, which killed 10 passengers.
Just last week, Mr Button had transported primary students on a school trip from Green Point Christian College, on a 500-kilometre round trip to Bathurst.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that after returning to the NSW Central Coast, teachers reported the bus driver to the school.
The school’s principal Phillip Nash wrote to parents this week, after becoming aware of the connection to the Greta crash.
“It has come to our attention that the driver of the Hunter Valley accident was also one of the drivers who took our Year 5 students to Bathurst last week,” Mr Nash wrote.
“On the trip to Bathurst, our teachers raised concerns about the driver and reported them at the end of the trip as per our usual procedures.
“We ask staff to report anything of concern … Their concerns were not such that they felt they needed to contact us on the trip.”
Mr Nash said the school had since written to the bus company to express its concerns. It would also write to police investigators.
Mr Button, 58, was behind the wheel of the bus carrying 35 wedding guests when it flipped and smashed on Sunday night.
Nine people died in the crash, with the tenth on the way to hospital. Thirteen people remain in a stable condition in hospitals across the Hunter Valley and Sydney.
Mr Button faced court on Tuesday and was granted bail by Magistrate Robyn Richardson, who expressed concerns for his wellbeing.
Ms Richardson said passenger statements about Mr Button’s behaviour in the final minutes before the crash made for a strong prosecution case, but his family ties and bail conditions reduced the risk of absconding or witness tampering.
Mr Button is accused of driving dangerously fast in thick fog and telling passengers to “fasten your seatbelts” moments before losing control at a roundabout and smashing into a guard rail. The bus tipped and crashed.
Ms Richardson said Mr Button was clearly suffering, along with the rest of the community.
The community of Singleton was hit the hardest by the crash, with seven of those who died hailing from the local area.
Mr Button’s case returns to court in August.
-with AAP
