Driver in fatal crash ‘didn’t think bus in bad condition’

The driver involved in a fatal school bus crash has told a court he had not realised the bus was in bad condition and that his own children took the bus.

Ger Buckley was speaking on day three of the trial of Offaly bus company owners Raymond and Ruairi McKeown, who face charges of failing to maintain the bus under health and safety law.

The packed bus went out of control and flipped over during a school run on Apr 4, 2006. Michael White, aged 15, died after suffering “catastrophic injuries” in the crash.

Mr Buckley said that one school child had previously told him about hearing a bang from the back of the bus and he reported this to the McKeowns.

He told Kenneth Fogarty SC, defending Raymond McKeown, that he never noticed the bus as being lopsided and nobody ever pointed this out to him.

He said if he had been told “I wouldn’t drive it for fear that exactly what happened would happen”.

He agreed with Caroline Biggs SC, prosecuting, that he was not a qualified mechanic but said: “I’d have noticed it when the air was being put it. I’d be pretty sure I’d notice something like that... I wouldn’t say it was in bad condition. I carried my own kids on that bus every morning.”

The jury have previously heard evidence from some of the schoolchildren who said they noticed the bus tilting noticeably to one side.

Owners of Clara Cabs, Raymond and Ruairi McKeown, both of River St, Clara, are charged with six counts for failing to maintain the 1989 Mercedes bus.

David O’Reilly, acting on behalf of O’Reilly Commercials Ltd of Ballinalach, Mullingar, Co Westmeath has pleaded not guilty to four charges relating to failing to note defects when they tested the bus between Aug 5 and 6, 2005.

All the accused have denied all the charges.