A teacher in the Loreto bus crash has broken down in tears while telling a court he "constantly hears" flashbacks of terrified students calling for help.
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The teacher was speaking during a committal hearing at Melbourne Magistrates' Court for truck driver Brett Russell, who has been charged with 80 offences after allegedly crashing into a Loreto school bus in the early hours of September 21, 2022.
During the second day of proceedings on March 5, 2024, several witnesses were cross-examined over the severity of their injuries by Russell's lawyer John Laverty.
The teacher told the court despite being hurt, he had not received treatment immediately after the incident, as his only concern had been for his daughter who was also injured in the crash.
He said for six months after the accident he experienced "extreme headaches", which had become less intense, but still had a burning sensation in his legs which hadn't improved.
When asked about his mental health, the man said he had nightmares and flashbacks of the accident, and began sobbing while telling the court of "constantly" hearing the voices of distressed students.
The court also heard from the bus driver, who said he could no longer work full time owing to flashbacks, nightmares and cold chills.
Because of this effect on his mental health, he said he had been unable to work for three to four months after the incident, and had only returned to part-time driving by about the second school term in 2023.
Several medical practitioners were also cross-examined over the severity of their patients' injuries.
One doctor told the court his young patient had experienced bruising to their lower legs and pelvic area which had healed relatively quickly, but they were later diagnosed with a fracture in their foot.
He said his patient was also suffering nightmares and flashbacks, and now had a heightened sensitivity to loud noises which caused them to relive the crash.
When cross-examined, a musculoskeletal physiotherapist said he had treated another student who had sustained "significant" soft tissue injuries near their fractured shoulder blade and ribs.
He said the last time he saw the patient was in October 2023, at which point they had completed a full week of school for the first time, but were still experiencing headaches and fatigue.
Truck brakes below minimum standard
According to court documents, police allege Brett Russell was driving a truck towing two trailers when he collided with a bus containing 32 people about 3.16am on September 21, 2022.
The collision occurred on the Western Freeway near Pentland Hills, in a section where the speed limit had been reduced from 110kmh to 40kmh, owing to the closure of the right-hand lane.
Earlier in the evening, Russell had allegedly been told by coworkers the brakes on his trailers were faulty, but regardless he decided to undertake his journey from Nhill to Melbourne.
About 15 kilometres from the collision site, Russell's brakes ran out of air, but he allegedly decided to continue driving rather than allowing the air to regenerate.
Upon arriving in Pentland Hills, Russell's brakes allegedly ran out of air again.
This meant he lost all ability to stop when he hit a downhill section of road and sped towards traffic which had slowed.
Russell's truck then allegedly collided with the Loreto bus, before travelling a further 400 metres down the road.
At the same time, the bus was pushed down an embankment and dropped more than 10 metres before rolling onto its side.
Russell sustained serious injuries in the crash, and had to be cut from the truck and immediately taken to hospital.
A sample of the truckie's blood was taken which tested negative to drugs and alcohol.
Following the crash, a mechanical examination allegedly found the brakes of Russell's two trailers were "significantly" below minimum standard.
During a subsequent interview with investigators, Russell allegedly admitted he was aware of this problem before the crash.
After hearing from all parties, magistrate Kieran Gilligan said there was enough evidence to conclude a trial could go ahead.
Russell then pleaded not guilty to the charges, but Mr Laverty indicated his client may enter a future guilty plea under the right circumstances.
The matter was adjourned for a County Court directions hearing on April 8, and Russell's bail was extended to that date.
