Bruce Slater fronts court over fatal crash at Arcadia South that killed Casey Spark

The parents of a former Australian Paralympian have paid rich tribute to their daughter killed in a minibus crash after the sleepy driver ignored repeated warnings to slow down.

Former Australian Paralympian Casey Spark of Echuca died in a minibus crash, a week before she was due to start work at an aged-care facility.

A 77-year-old minibus driver who fell asleep at the wheel and killed a former Paralympian described by her father as a “queen” has gone to jail despite his failing health.

Bruce Kenneth Slater, of Gunbower, was driving a minibus at Arcadia South when it crashed, killing Echuca woman Casey Spark and injuring several others, including her parents, in May 2021.

Spark competed for Australia in the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Dublin and won gold in shot put, silver in the 4x100m relay and bronze in the 400m walk.

She was a helper for a group of 10 people Slater was driving from the Gunbower Senior Citizens Club in northern Victoria on a silo art tour on May 20, 2021.

He ignored warnings from his passengers to slow down after the vehicle drifted onto the gravelled side of the road before crashing into a paddock.

SLater was sentenced in the County Court on Monday to 12 months in prison on the charge of dangerous driving causing death and 24 months community corrections order for dangerous driving causing injury.

The CCO will start at the end of his prison term.

Killer driver Bruce Slater was sentenced in the County Court at Bendigo to 12 months in jail for dangerous driving causing death.

Spark’s parents Roger and Shirley Sparks, who live in Gunbower, were also injured. The latter spent more than a month in a coma and required ongoing treatment.

Outside of court, both paid rich tribute to their only child they described as “caring” who was supposed to start her dream job at an aged-care facility in Rochester a week after the crash.

“She got a phone call about her new job on the minibus and told everyone about it, and we all were happy for her,” her mum recalled.

“She’d do anything to help anybody and no one we ever spoke to had a bad word for her. She lived and worked in Echuca and used to come home two to three days a week.”

The day before the minibus crash, Shirley said a truck driver had died in Gunbower.

“Two deaths of two identities within two days was a bit too much for a small town,” she said.

On the fateful day, Shirley said she was sitting over the backwheel beside her husband and directly behind their daughter and thought Slater was going too fast.

Casey’s dad Roger, 78, used to drive the minibus but surrendered his driving license due to his age.

He said the crash was totally preventable.

“We’ve had to totally rebuild our lives that was wrecked by his carelessness,” he said, referring to Slater.

“Casey was a queen. I loved that daughter so bloody much,” he said.

At his plea hearing last month, GP Clare Bottcher told the court Slater’s diabetes and chronic kidney disease in particular would most likely deteriorate in jail if those conditions were not monitored and treated properly.

Sleepy minibus driver Bruce Slater of Gunbower has gone to jail despite arguing for a non-custodial sentence due to his poor health and age.

Slater’s lawyer William Blake said at 77 and with a significant number of medical diagnoses of which three or four were serious, an aged-care facility rather than jail would be the most appropriate outcome.

But Judge Peter Lauritsen said health services in prison were on par with those in public hospitals and Slater could be treated while in jail.

“Your driving involved extensive lapse, you drove at over 100km/h, you were warned by some of your passengers but you took no notice,” he said.

“I don’t know why you took no notice. One would thought one warning would have been enough.”