The driver at the center of the devastating bus crash that claimed the lives of ten people reportedly repeated two specific words while spending the night in a police cell.
On Sunday (June 11), Maddy Edsell and Mitchell Gaffney tied the knot at Wandin Estate in the Hunter Valley in Australia and had celebrations that lasted all day.
As their wedding ended late at night, guests piled into a coach which was scheduled to take 36 of them from the reception to their accommodation in Singleton at approximately 11:30 PM.
The journey was only supposed to last half an hour but 17 minutes in, the 2009 Volvo B7R rolled over on Wine Country Drive at Greta which resulted in the deaths of 10 people, and hospitalizing 25 more.
The newlyweds - who weren't on the bus - are Australian rules football stars. Gaffney played for the Singleton Roosters while Edsell was an ever-present player for the Hunter Valley women's team before moving to Melbourne to link up with the Roosterettes.
According to Daily Mail, the area was blanketed in heavy fog at the time of the collision and the roundabout on Wine Country Drive near the Hunter Expressway off-ramp in Greta, 12km away from the estate, was under construction.
In the wake of the tragedy, the first victims of the horrific crash have now been named. Nadene McBride, her daughter Kyah McBride and Kyah's boyfriend Kane Symons have been identified.
Also named by local news outlets were Andrew and Lynan Scott - who sadly leave behind two children under the age of five - as well as Angus Craig, Rebecca 'Bec' Mullen, Tori Cowburn, and Zachary Bray.
Darcy Bulman from Victoria has also been reported as a victim of the crash. Eight players from Victoria's Warrandyte Cricket Club and five of their partners are noted to be among those that are injured, including Brandon Stafford, a third-grade cricket XI captain who had served as a groomsman, whose injuries include broken collar bones and a broken jaw.
Investigations are ongoing so it's unknown whether the passengers were wearing seatbelts, but retired Victoria Police Officer Peter Bellion claims to News.com.au that it is "unlikely" due to the high number of fatalities.
On June 12, just a day after the incident, police revealed that the 58-year-old bus driver named Brett Andrew Button had been charged with 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death, including driving manner dangerous, and negligent driving (occasioning death).
However, The Guardian reported that Button has now left Cessnock police station on bail.
According to the publication, the driver reportedly spent the night before being granted bail crying in a police cell while repeating two words: "I’m sorry, I’m sorry."
A police source also told The Daily Telegraph that the father of four - who had no criminal history prior to the charges - was seen "curled up" in his holding cell at Cessnock police station.
Button's lawyer Chris O'Brien said that his client had "strong ties to the community" and a number of medical conditions. While Magistrate Robyn Richardson noted that the charges laid against him are severe, she granted him bail on strict conditions.
"Mr Button has sat here head bowed and it is clear he suffers along with the rest of the community," Magistrate Robyn Richardson said. "I do not find there the unacceptable risk that Mr. Button could interfere with witnesses is so much so that I might refuse bail.
"In regards to failure to appear, I accept that it is a risk but I am satisfied presented conditions will turn unacceptable risk to acceptable risk," she added.
Our thoughts remain with all of those affected by this tragedy.