Bus driver in fatal Mt Eden crash 'will live with trauma forever'

The bus driver involved in a crash with a car which killed a man and injured two toddlers is devastated and taking time off work to get counselling.

It is understood the 51-year-old driver of the car, who died after colliding with the bus in Mt Eden yesterday afternoon, suffered a medical event.

Auckland Tramways Union president Gary Froggatt said he understood the driver of the car had a medical event, swerved across the median strip at some speed and into the oncoming bus.

Two young children were removed from the car in critical condition and taken to hospital after the crash at the corner of Mt Eden and Bellevue Rds about 3.30pm yesterday.

A 1-year-old boy remains in a critical condition while a 3-year-old girl is now in
a serious but stable condition in the paediatric intensive care unit at Starship Hospital.

Police, who are continuing to investigate what happened, are still trying to notify family of those involved.

Froggatt also revealed the bus driver and a learner driver on the NZ Bus 277 route heading down Mt Eden Rd towards the city were taken to Auckland Hospital with minor injuries and discharged last night.

He said the bus driver was devastated and NZ Bus has told him to take time off until he has had some counselling and is able to return to work. He has driven buses for five years.

Froggatt said the driver, who is married with children and lives in Mangere, had suffered the sort of trauma that would live with him forever.

About half a dozen passengers were on the bus when it crashed. Two suffered minor and moderate injuries and were taken to Auckland Hospital.

Camera footage from the bus had been retrieved by NZ Bus, Froggatt said.

Bus driver and First Union spokesman Phil Morgan said the driver was a responsible and good bloke who would be hurt by what happened.

"Obviously the driver will be very, very upset.

"This sort of thing is very traumatic and we're on the road all week they come out of the blue and affect us [bus drivers] as they would anyone else."

Morgan said the crash was only a matter of time as congested Auckland roads created a recipe for disaster.

"We're dealing with gridlock traffic virtually every day of the week. We see a lot of near misses," he said.

"It works its way into your mind. They [crashes] come out of left field and bang, there you are."

Mt Eden local Mikey Beban was one of the first at the scene of the crash, and called 111.

He was about 30m away from the incident when he heard an "almighty bang".

A white car had been shunted to the side of Mt Eden Rd and he could hear children's crying coming from the back seat.

A toddler in a party dress was brought out of the back seat and attended to by emergency services at the scene.