Bus crash kills two, dozens of kids hurt

Witnesses smashed a bus window to free almost 40 distressed and injured school
children after a collision with a car that left two people dead in Sydney's south.

Eleven ambulance crews and two helicopters rushed to Heathcote Road, near the
junction of New Illawarra Road, at Lucas Heights about 7.50am (AEST) on Friday after
reports of a collision between at least one car and a school bus.
Emergency services were confronted by a shocking scene, with a seriously damaged
bus, a mangled silver sedan and dozens of walking wounded, mostly children aged
between five and 11.
The bus carrying 37 Sutherland Shire Christian School students came to a halt wedged
against the rock face at the side of the road, forcing passing motorists to smash a
window to free the distressed children.
Older students comforted the tearful youngsters, as did the 67-year-old female bus
driver, named in media reports as Anita Harper, who ignored her own serious leg
injuries to tend to her young passengers.
Police say the silver sedan had been travelling east on the wrong side of the road
when it hit the bus head-on at a known accident black-spot.
The driver, believed to be in his 50s and from Hinchinbrook in Sydney's southwest,
died before paramedics could reach him. He may have suffered a heart attack at the
wheel, Network Ten reported.
His 40-year-old female passenger was initially trapped in the wreck but was
airlifted to St George Hospital with critical head, chest and leg injuries.
She died just before midday (AEST).
Paramedics described 11 of the children as being seriously hurt, and two of them
were airlifted to Westmead Children's Hospital.
The remainder of the 40 children involved, including three children travelling in
cars behind the bus, were taken by road to five Sydney hospitals.
Those with minor injuries suffered bloody noses, sore necks and shock, while others
were unscathed.
All but two of the students involved in the crash had been released from hospital by
3pm on Friday.
"We had to smash the side window to get access straight away and to get a couple of
people into the bus just to assess what was going on," a witness told ABC Radio.
One of the students told Network Ten: "Everyone was screaming and there was blood
everywhere."
NSW Ambulance Service district manager John Millevoi praised the students caught up
in the crash, saying "they were all consoling each other".
Police Inspector Martin Hayston said it was a difficult scene.
"Obviously, any time when children are crying is quite traumatic," he said.
"It was quite difficult to manage because of the amount of traffic in the area at
that time."
Many parents rushed to the site after learning of the crash, and Premier Nathan Rees
offered his sympathies.
"It's every mum and dad's worst nightmare to hear that your child has been involved
in a traffic accident let alone a bus crash of this nature," he told reporters.
"So our thoughts are with the mums and dads and the loved ones of the deceased."
Sutherland Shire Christian School principal Nicola Taylor said the school had kept
parents updated throughout the day and prayers were being offered for all those
involved in the crash.
"We thank God that none of the children were critically injured and we continue to
pray for the children and their families as well as the people in the other vehicle
and those who witnessed the horrifying scene," she said in a statement.
Ms Taylor said counselling had been made available.
The road, which ambulance staff said had been the scene of a number of recent
accidents, reopened just before 2pm.