Bruce Slater fronts court over minibus crash at Arcadia South

A minibus driver who killed a passenger after he fell asleep at the wheel while taking members of a senior citizens’ club on a bus tour may escape prison due to his age and failing health.

A 75-year-old Gunbower man who caused a fatal road collision is arguing he should be sentenced to an aged care facility rather than jail due to his age and poor health

A minibus driver who killed a passenger after he fell asleep at the wheel while taking members of a senior citizens’ club on a bus tour may escape prison due to his age and falling health.

Bruce Kenneth Slater, 77, of Gunbower, fell asleep behind the wheel of a minibus at Arcadia South, killing Echuca woman Casey Spark and injuring several others, in May 2021.

At the conclusion of a multi-day hearing at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in March 2023, Slater was committed to stand trial in the County Court.

However, he pleaded guilty in the County Court in February to dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing injury.

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

Casey Spark died after a minibus she was travelling in crashed and rolled at Arcadia South

His passengers were worried about his speed and the vehicle drifting off the road in the hours before he fatally crashed into a paddock.

One passenger saw Slater drive the minibus onto the gravelled side of the road about 10 times that morning and when asked if he was all right to continue driving, he replied “No, I’m all right”

About 2.30pm, Slater dozed off and the minibus rolled off the road, and hit a post and small tree.

He then steered the vehicle hard to the right and caused it to travel across traffic to the other side of the road.

The minibus then went into a paddock and rolled three times. Ms Sparks died at the scene while three others, including her mother, were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

During a continuation of Slater’s plea hearing on Wednesday, GP Clare Bottcher told the court that Slater’s diabetes and chronic kidney disease in particular would most likely deteriorate in jail if those conditions were not monitored and treated properly.

She said the Cahuna Village aged care would be closer to Gunbower in terms of his care as other facilities such as a rest care home in Echuca had not reopened since December.

His 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.

Prosecutor Johnathon McCarthy said health issues could be adequately managed in prison.

Slater will be sentenced on August 26.