Tragic day: A police officer takes a close look at the truck involved in the Singleton accident which left one boy dead. Picture: Newcastle Herald.
TENTERFIELD’S Adam McCarthy has expressed his sorrow over a school bus accident involving one of McCarthy’s Transport trucks in which a nine-year-old boy died.
Mr McCarthy, who could not be contacted by The Tenterfield Star yesterday, told media on Monday he had five children of his own and was shocked by the accident.
“"We feel terrible for what's happened. Our hearts go out to the family," Mr McCarthy told The Newcastle Herald.
Mr McCarthy was not driving the truck at the time of the accident and said the family trucking business had a good safety record across the 40 years of its operation.
NSW police said investigations were continuing following the crash in Singleton in the Hunter Region on Monday.
Emergency services were called to the intersection of Church and Kelso streets shortly before 4pm, following a collision between the school bus and the prime mover.
A nine-year-old boy, who was a passenger on the bus, died at the scene.
Two seven-year-old boys suffered serious head injuries and were airlifted to John Hunter Hospital where they remained in a critical but stable condition yesterday. One of the critically injured boys is the brother of the nine-year-old.
A number of the children on board the bus attended St Catherine's Christian College at Singleton.
The bus driver – a 54-year-old man – and the remaining four children on the bus were taken to Singleton Hospital where they were treated for minor injuries. They were all released a short time later.
The 34-year-old male truck driver was not injured.
The truck driver was taken to Singleton Hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing and continues to assist police with their inquiries.
The bus driver also underwent blood and urine testing.
Reports that the boy who died was thrown several metres from the bus has reignited the seatbelts in school buses debate.
Officers from the Newcastle Crash Investigation Unit, with assistance from the Hunter Valley Local Area Command, are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Anyone who witnessed the collision, and who hasn’t already spoken to officers, should contact Hunter Valley Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
