CCH Australia - News - NSW bus crash students being counselled

NSW bus crash students being counselled

11 September 2012 | Content provided to you by AAP.

School counsellors have been called in to talk to distraught students after a bus crash in NSW's Hunter Valley killed nine-year-old classmate Harry Dunn and critically injured his younger brother.

Director of Catholic Schools Ray Collins said students at St Catherine's Catholic College at Singleton were grieving following the collision on Monday between a truck and the school bus Harry was riding in.

"School counsellors have been on site from 8am this morning, and will continue to be available to the school to assist the community to deal with its grief," Mr Collins said in a statement.

"As a community we grieve the loss of a young life, and unite in prayer for all students involved, their families and the Singleton community."

Police confirmed that Harry was nine and not eight as previously mentioned.

Two seven-year-old boys suffered serious head injuries and were airlifted to John Hunter Hospital where they remain in a critical but stable condition.

One of the critically injured boys is Luke Dunn, Harry's brother.

The siblings' father Dean Dunn was participating in a charity bike ride for children living with cancer at the time of the accident and rushed back home.

"Camp Quality sends deepest condolences to Dean Dunn and his family," Camp Quality CEO Simon Rountree said in a statement.

"He asked that the other 29 cyclists continue the ride.

"Today they are wearing black armbands out of respect for Dean's loss."

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.

He 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.

The NSW Greens and lobby groups are pushing for seatbelts to be made mandatory on school buses, but NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas said police wanted to wait for an expert report rather than "act on the hop".

NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian said last year the state government formed the School Bus Safety Community Advisory Committee to examine the transportation of children in rural and regional NSW.

"I understand the independent committee will be in a position to hand its final report to the government in the near future.

"This is a debate we need to have."

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