- Australian bus driver Brett Button was released on bail after a crash that killed 10 wedding guests.
- Police allege Button was speeding and drove inconsistently with the conditions.
- The driver’s release on bail was granted due to family ties and bail conditions.
Brett Button was transporting 35 passengers from a wedding reception at the Wandin Estate Winery to the town of Singleton, both in the Hunter Valley wine region of New South Wales, when the bus rolled onto its side and struck a guard rail, killing 10 passengers.
Police say the Australian bus driver who killed 10 wedding guests and injured 25 was speeding.
Brett Button was arrested after hospital tests, but Cessnock Local Court released him on bail on Tuesday.
He faced ten dangerous driving accusations and one negligent driving charge in court.
The 58-year-old driver was transporting 35 passengers from a wedding reception at Wandin Estate Winery to the town of Singleton, both in the Hunter Valley wine region of New South Wales, when the 2009 Volvo bus overturned and struck a guard rail.
The accident occurred Sunday around 11:30 p.m. in Greta, New South Wales, 112 miles (180 km) northwest of Sydney.
Previously, acting police assistant commissioner David Waddell alleged that Button “entered the roundabout driving inconsistently with the conditions.”
Mr. Waddell told reporters that the driver’s pace made it impossible for him to negotiate the roundabout, causing the vehicle to roll onto its left side and cause injuries.
The police said the bus driver passed blood and urine tests for narcotics and alcohol Sunday night.
Mr. Waddell stated that fourteen of the twenty-five passengers who were hospitalized have not been discharged, with two remaining in an intensive care unit in critical but stable condition.
The officer added that the deceased and injured were between the ages of 20 and 60.
He declined to comment on media reports that Mr. Button told passengers through the bus’s microphone shortly before the accident. “If you think that was fast… watch this.”
Mr. Waddell also declined to comment on allegations that passengers were standing before the collision.
Prosecutors argued against Button’s release on parole, citing the possibility of additional charges against the severely injured survivors.
However, magistrate Robyn Richardson stated that his family ties and bail conditions, which include a curfew at his residence in Maitland and a prohibition on driving, could reduce his risk of fleeing the country or interfering with witnesses.
In addition, she noted it was unlikely a trial would be held before late 2024.
Button cried during the bail hearing when told he was suffering like the rest of the devastated neighbourhood.
Ms. Richardson stated that there were concerns for his health.
She stated that ten passengers’ statements to police about Button’s “extensive conduct” before the accident created a strong prosecution case, but did not elaborate on this conduct.
