Brett Michael Russell, the truck driver who crashed into the back of a Victorian school bus and injured 27 students aboard, has been sentenced to 12 years and nine months in jail.
Russell had earlier pleaded guilty to 11 counts of negligently causing serious injury, one count of reckless conduct and one count of recklessly engaging in conduct that placed people at risk of serious injury.
The 63-year-old will be eligible for parole after serving a minimum of eight years.
The crash occurred before dawn on September 21, 2022, when Russell – driving a 62-tonne B-double – ploughed into the back of a bus carrying 32 people, including 27 students and several staff from Loreto College Ballarat.
According to court documents, with the road wet from rain, Russell reached a steep descent where traffic was backed up due to roadworks, and the speed limit had been reduced from 110km/h to 40km/h.
Knowing the brakes on his truck and trailers were defective and that he was unable to stop, Russell attempted to manoeuvre around the traffic at high speed.
Instead, the truck careened into the back of the bus, pushing it through a roadside barrier and down an embankment, where it rolled onto its passenger side.
In sentencing him today, County Court Judge Michael O’Connell acknowledged Russell’s guilty plea, early admissions of brake failure, and apparent remorse – even asking about the victims as he was being pulled from the wrecked cabin.
He also noted Russell’s significant personal injuries sustained in the crash including a full hip replacement.
But the judge said those factors were outweighed by the “catastrophic” harm caused to innocent schoolchildren, staff and the broader community.