School bus driver who died in crash near Marton was much-valued member of community, says school

South Mākirikiri School expressed its condolences to the family of a bus driver killed on Makirikiri Rd on Tuesday. Photo / Bevan Conley

A bus driver who died in a crash on Tuesday is being remembered as a much-valued member of the South Mākirikiri School community.

“Our thoughts are with the whānau and our school and wider community and we will be supporting them through this tough time,” principal Greg Allan and presiding board of trustees member Libby Rayner said in a statement.

The driver of the bus, contracted through Go Bus, was involved in a serious crash on Makirikiri Rd.

Hato Hone St John was called to the incident around 2.48pm on Tuesday and responded with two ambulances, two managers and a rapid response vehicle.

Police said the incident involved a single vehicle, and the driver of the bus died at the scene while six other passengers received minor to moderate injuries.

The school leaders said all of the children on the bus were uninjured and did an amazing job in getting out of the vehicle and supporting each other until help arrived.

“We are incredibly proud of the way they handled this challenging situation,” they said.

The tamariki were being supported by whānau, trauma professionals, the Ministry of Education and their peers and teachers.

“We want to thank the emergency services who supported these students for their incredible care until familiar faces could get to them.”

As a school community, they expressed their deepest condolences to the family of the driver.