Hunter Valley bus crash victims speak out: ‘I hope we made Zach proud’

Zachary Bray’s heartbroken parents say they will never stop fighting for their “beautiful boy”, 15 months after his death in a horrific Hunter Valley bus crash.

Zach’s mother Jacqui was in court last week to hear how bus driver Brett Button was sentenced to 32 years in prison.

However, his father, Adam, reveals to New idea that he chose not to attend the hearing.

The shock of hearing the 40 heartbreaking victim statements was too traumatic to bear.

“I am as pleased and satisfied as I can be, as a grieving father, that justice has been done,” Adam said. “But like everyone else affected by this horrible crime, nothing will ever take away the pain of losing our beautiful boy.”

“I will always be grateful that Jacq and our daughter Montana were in court representing our family.

“I simply couldn’t be there – I attended seven funerals after the crash. I can only hope now that everyone affected by this terrible tragedy can finally begin the healing process.”

Button, 59, was responsible for last year’s crash that killed 10 people and injured 25 others. The bus was carrying 35 wedding guests from the Wandin Valley Estate to Singleton, NSW on the evening of June 11.
He pleaded guilty to 35 charges, including 10 counts of dangerous driving causing death.

During the three-day hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Button admitted taking more than the prescribed amount of the opioid tramadol before the accident.

He accepted that his driving ability was impaired by the medication. He will have to serve a minimum of 24 years before he can be considered for parole.

Button told the court: “I’m ashamed. I hate myself. I want to disappear. I’m sorry to everyone involved. I’ve brought shame on everyone.”

Adam “deliberately didn’t listen” to anything Button had to say, choosing instead to remember Zach, who was 29, in his own way.

“His words mean absolutely nothing to me,” he says. “I sat with my dead son twice for three hours, each time holding his hand, and I promised that I would fight for him and his comrades until the end.

“I’m not walking around in my son’s aviator sunglasses to look cool, nor am I wearing his RM Williams boots that he was wearing the night of the crash. It’s about seeing the world through his eyes, and every step and decision I make in the fight for justice, I walk in his shoes.”

Adam has now filed a class action lawsuit in the Supreme Court of New South Wales against Transport NSW and Linq Buslines.

He hopes that everyone affected will be compensated.

“Read the statements from all the victims again and it is clear that every person in the class action lawsuit deserves to be cared for and rewarded … as they get their fragmented lives back on track,” Adam said.

“When I left my son at the morgue that day, I promised him that I would continue the fight until all the innocent victims of this heinous crime are in a better place than they are now.

“I’m just a father who couldn’t protect and save our precious Zach. But I will do whatever it takes, moving forward, to prevent this from ever happening again. I hope I made you proud, son.”