A bus company connected to the fatal Hunter Valley crash in 2023, along with its directors and managers, is facing prosecution over alleged violations of heavy-vehicle regulations.
In 2023, Brett Andrew Button was sentenced to a minimum of 24 years in prison for a crash that killed 10 people returning from a wedding in the Hunter Valley in June that year.
The court determined that Button’s driving was impaired due to a high level of the opioid Tramadol in his system at the time of the crash.
The vehicle involved was operated by Linq Buslines Pty Ltd.
On Tuesday, the company’s directors and two managers appeared in Gosford Local Court over charges related to heavy-vehicle safety breaches, including alleged failures in implementing drug testing policies from November 2022 to June 2023.
The most serious offences could result in penalties of up to $1.7 million.
Manager Rodney Parker faces two counts of failing to meet his obligations under national heavy-vehicle law and two additional charges for failing to uphold the responsibilities of a company executive.
According to court documents, Parker is accused of telling Button in advance about a scheduled drug test on February 6, 2023, four months before the deadly crash.
Button joined Linq Buslines in November 2022, and Parker allegedly did not contact any of his former employers.
The documents claim that Parker did not carry out proper due diligence by neglecting to check with someone from Button’s previous job about any issues that could affect his ability to safely operate a bus.
Katie Parker, the Area Manager overseeing 16 local buses, has also been charged.
Court documents say she did not take reasonable steps to ensure drivers weren’t operating vehicles under the influence, such as by setting up a routine system of random drug testing.
Company directors Anthony John Royle and Christopher Terrence Fogg face three charges each for breaching heavy-vehicle national law.
They allegedly failed to exercise proper oversight to ensure the company complied with legal obligations regarding safety.
Further accusations claim that the company did not have adequate policies in place to reduce the risk of drivers operating buses while impaired.
Linq Buslines itself is also facing similar charges.
The case is scheduled to return to court in September.
