Driver charged after boy struck by bus at Macarthur Anglican School dies

The Sydney mother-of-eight bus driver charged over the death of a 14-year-old school student has been granted bail. Her legal team argued a medical episode or engineering fault could have been factors in the crash.

The female driver behind the wheel of a bus that hit and killed a teenage student in Sydney’s southwest has been granted bail, with her lawyer saying that medical and mechanical issues could have contributed to the tragedy.

Penina Lopesi, a mother of eight, was charged with dangerous driving occasioning death and negligent driving occasioning death after she allegedly struck and killed a 14-year-old boy on Wednesday. Her licence was also suspended.

Police said Lopesi was driving a bus through the grounds of Macarthur Anglican School in Cobbitty when she allegedly mounted a footpath where a Year 9 boy was standing.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene and worked furiously to save the boy, but he died soon after being rushed to hospital.

Lopesi made an application for bail in the Liverpool Local Court on Thursday where her solicitor Mostafa Daoudie described the incident as “a very sad set of circumstances”.

Bus driver Penina Lopesi has been charged after a boy was struck and killed outside a Cobbitty school on Wednesday.

She was supported in court by her children and husband as police opposed her release on bail, arguing she was an unacceptable flight risk.

Mr Daoudie said it would be investigated whether she had suffered a medical episode or whether there was an engineering fault with the bus’ steering wheel or handbrake.

The court heard that immediately after the accident, Ms Lopesi was in “some kind of shock” for several moments.

“She could sit in custody for a long time, I would submit 18 to 24 months on remand is a significant amount of time and your honour can take that into account … and she may be found not guilty,” Mr Daoudie said.

Emergency services at Macarthur Anglican School. Picture: 7 News

She was granted bail on the condition she surrender her passport, not go within five kilometres of Macarthur Anglican School, and report to police three times a week.

Lopesi’s son, Anthony Lopesi, told The Daily Telegraph he was with his mother at Liverpool Hospital after the accident, when she underwent mandatory blood and alcohol testing.

“She is very sad the boy passed away from the crash,” he said.

Her husband, Tupuola Lopesi, a pastor at Hills of Praise Worship Centre at Minto, said his wife called him from the police station to tell him what happened.

“She just said what had happened … I talked to her, it’s very sad,” Pastor Lopesi said.

“She is in court at midday so I will go there then.”

School friends of the dead boy flooded social media with tributes, as the principal said it would be a “very tough day”.

A bus driver has been charged after a boy was struck and killed outside a Macarthur school on Wednesday. Picture: 9 News

“Rest easy mate … never forget ya,” one friend wrote.

The tight-knit community of Macarthur Anglican School was left traumatised after the student suffered fatal injuries just before 3pm on Wednesday.

Emergency services rushed to the exclusive private school in Cobbitty where paramedics treated the teen in front of horrified students before taking him to Liverpool Hospital in a critical condition. He died from his injuries a short time later.

Parents of children on-board the bus said the vehicle veered into a tree before hitting the child.

It is believed teachers had to activate emergency exits on the bus to get children off the vehicle.

Distraught children inside and outside the bus were comforted by teachers as they were moved away from the scene.

The scene at Macarthur Anglican School. Picture: 7 News

Frantic parents were left to park and pace along the school’s boundary on Cobbitty Rd after police locked down the school — keeping parents out and children confined to their classrooms long after the day had ended.

The incident, right on school pick-up time, caused a mass traffic build-up throughout the area as police moved to contain the scene.

School headmaster David Nockles wrote to the school community on Wednesday night to outline the support students would receive in coming days and weeks.

He said it would be a tough day for everyone who knew the boy and his family, and who witnessed the tragedy.

Traffic banked up around the area as parents attempted to pick up children from school.

In a statement released on Thursday morning, Dr Nockles said the accident happened outside the school’s chapel as a public transport bus “moved away from the bus bays”.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy’s family … as they deal with unimaginable grief and heartache. The school appreciates the tangible support for our school community as we work through this terrible shock and loss to the wider Macarthur family,” Dr Nockles said.

“A team of outside counsellors have been arranged to work alongside the school’s pastoral care team, assisting those students and staff who need direct support.

“The school is thankful for the support of our fellow schools and emergency service providers.”

The bus remained at the scene on Wednesday night, with a team of police keeping vigil as the Crash Investigation Unit commenced its investigation.

Camden Police Superintendent Paul Fuller said officers were speaking with witnesses.

“Obviously it was at school pick-up so there was a lot of students and a lot of parents in the area,” Supt Fuller said.

Macarthur Anglican School has its own bus services and a daycare on campus, however, the bus involved in the accident wasn’t one privately operated by the school.

The school caters for kindergarten to Year 12 and is the most expensive in the Macarthur region with fees up to $21,000 per student.

Some parents at the school had no communication for hours after the horrific incident.