Eynesbury, Melbourne school bus crash: Truck driver Jamie Gleeson's family ... trends now
The family of the truck driver charged over a horror bus crash that left several children severely injured with some requiring amputations has broken their silence about their devastation over the tragedy.
The mother of driver Jamie Gleeson, 49, whose large truck and trailer allegedly slammed into a coach carrying the primary school children on Tuesday afternoon told Daily Mail Australia her family was distraught about the incident.
'We're all pretty upset about it, but we can't make a a statement at the moment,' Chris Gleeson said.
'We are feeling for the families of the children as well,' Mrs Gleeson said, adding that Jamie's father, legendary Victorian horse trotting driver and trainer, Ginger Gleeson, was too tied up with the disaster's aftermath to speak.
Jamie Gleeson, the father of two sons with his wife Jacqui, is a car and sport shooting enthusiast and longtime truck driver from Balliang East near Bacchus Marsh west of Melbourne.
He was driving an ACT-registered truck and trailer when it collided an Exford Primary School bus carrying 45 kids at Eynesbury, in Melbourne's west, at about 3.40pm on Tuesday.
Truck driver Jamie Gleeson, 49, (above) has been charged following the catastrophic bus crash which injured schoolchildren, one requiring surgery to amputate a limb
Ten children aged five to 11 suffered traumatic or serious injuries, one of them with catastrophic consequences, while Jamie Gleeson sustained minor injuries and is in police custody.
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 cause serious injury and will front Melbourne Magistrates Court via video link on Wednesday.
Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Cruse said he expected the truck driver to be hit with additional charges, but didn't specify what they were.
Supt Cruse said many of the passer-bys and teachers who responded to the 'confronting' scene would have known the students involved.
'The bus driver, despite being injured, I understand that he helped some of the children out of the bus,' Mr Cruse told a press conference.
'Then we had passers-by who have heroically stopped immediately and assisted in assisting the children who could be removed from the bus.
'It was chaotic. It would have been very confronting for those passersby.'
Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Cruse and Exford Primary School Principal Lisa Campo addressed the media outside the school on Wednesday
A truck driver has been charged after a bus crash that left several children severely injured and awaiting amputations
Supt Cruse said 'inattention' was something police were actively investigating as well as if the truck driver had been speeding.
He said the school bus was fitted with seatbelts, but that he was unaware if the children had been wearing them.
Exford Primary School Principal Lisa Campo said she had initially thought the students had been in a minor crash.
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 assistant principal and our staff wrapped our arms around the kids. I know that we're not supposed to have kids but that is they needed,' she said.
Major Collision Investigation
