A truck driver has been charged after a school bus crash on Tuesday afternoon that left seven children in hospital.
Per Guardian Australia, Victoria Police interviewed a 49-year-old man on Wednesday afternoon and charged him with four counts of dangerous driving causing serious injury, after the truck he was driving allegedly collided with the school bus.
As reported by 9News, the bus crash occurred as the children were travelling home from Exford Primary School, near the intersection of Exford Road and Murphys Road at Eynesbury, around 44km west of Melbourne. Emergency services were called to the scene at around 3.43PM on Tuesday.
Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Cruse said “the scene was chaotic”, according to 9News. He said the bus crash occurred when the bus was trying to turn right onto Murphys Road.
The school bus was carrying 45 children, and onlookers worked to free them from the overturned bus.
Nine children were initially taken to hospital with serious injuries. As of Wednesday morning, seven children remain in hospital, with one child requiring a full amputation of their arm.
Royal Melbourne Hospital CEO Bernadette McDonald said several children involved in the bus crash required extensive surgery, per ABC News.
“The children have suffered multiple and traumatic injuries including partial and complete amputations of arms, multiple crushed limb injuries, severe lacerations to head and body, head injuries, glass shard injuries and three patients are currently receiving spinal support,” McDonald said.
“Some of these patients will require returns to theatres and multiple surgeries in the coming days and coming weeks.”
According to the ABC, the children in hospital range from ages five to 11.
“We have some very traumatised families and children in our hospital at the moment and we are working extremely hard to provide that trauma support and care that they will need,” McDonald added.
More to come.
