Gympie fatal bus crash: Parents praise bus driver Jullie Laffey

Parents have hailed bus driver Jullie Laffey a hero, saying her actions saved students from serious injury in a fatal crash near Gympie on Tuesday.

A hero bus driver who saved a group of schoolchildren from a fatal car crash near Gympie on Tuesday has been identified as Jullie Laffey.

Parents of schoolchildren on board the bus have hailed Ms Laffey as a hero who “deserves a medal”, after she swerved to avoid an out-of-control 4WD at Wolvi, about 3.40pm.

Bus driver Jullie Laffey has been praised for her actions during a fatal crash near Gympie on Tuesday. Picture: Supplied

The 4WD, which was carrying a 29-year-old man and a 68-year-old man, struck the bus and then crashed, killing the younger man.

“My husband was with (Ms Laffey) while she was trapped and all she was worried about were the children,” parent Skye Hughes told The Courier-Mail.

“She’s an amazing bus driver, always has a smile on her face.

The crash between a 4WD and school bus killed a 29-year-old man.

“Julie is so special my children both were more worried about her than themselves. I’m so glad that she is OK.

Ms Hughes said she was grateful for Ms Laffey’s quick thinking.

Bus driver Jullie Laffey was trapped in the wreckage of the crash near Gympie.

Ms Hughes believes that if Ms Laffey had not manoeuvred the bus the way she did, her daughter may have been seriously hurt.

“The police officer at the scene told me that things could have been a lot worse if she didn’t manoeuvre the bus the way she did.

There were 26 students on the bus when it collided with the 4WD.

Ms Hughes said the school bus had only been recently upgraded.

“If the bus didn’t have seat belts she would have gone through the window,” Ms Hughes said.

“The bus was only upgraded a couple weeks back.”