Hannah Francis Investigation: Driver Says Ski Bus Was Out of Control As Bridge Locked

With his runaway bus approaching a bridge and passengers screaming, a skifield driver felt he had to crash the vehicle into a barrier or trees on the road.

That’s what the bus driver said in an investigation into the death of 11-year-old Hannah Francis.

Hannah died on the way to the hospital after the accident near Ohakune in 2018.

In the Auckland investigation, Coroner Brigitte Windley is examining what caused the accident in the central North Island and what could prevent a similar tragedy from occurring in the future.

The investigation began Tuesday and she first learned of Hannah’s father, Matt Francis, who spoke of trying to protect his daughter before losing her.

Later, the bus driver, who has name suppression, gave evidence about the events that preceded the accident on Saturday, July 28.

He said some of the roughly 30 passengers on his Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bus screamed as attempts to put the bus into a lower gear continued to fail.

The investigation heard that the Mitsubishi Fuso driver likely lost control after passing through a chain-mounting bay, where motorists stop to put snow chains on tires during ski season.

“The brake pedal went straight to the floor again every time,” he said.

He said he checked an air gauge on the dash, which was at the “10 o’clock” angle instead of its usual 12 o’clock position.

“I was scared at this point because the bus was starting to pick up speed, around 60 to 70 km / h, which was too fast for this section of the road,” the driver said in the investigation.

The driver said a passenger asked what was wrong and he replied that the brake did not work.

He said he could not put the bus in first or second gear even while standing.

Finally, he stopped trying to change gears, after what he said were multiple failed attempts.

From his knowledge of the road, he noticed that the bus was approaching a bridge.

“I thought I had to do everything possible to stop the bus.”

“I don’t know how many times, but I tried to crash [into] the trees, “he said in the investigation.

He said he then had to consider crashing into a roadside barrier.

“I closed my eyes and when I reopened my [head] I was outside the bus and my legs were still inside the bus.

“I could feel people standing on my leg as they tried to get off the bus.”

The driver’s training and his interviews with the police after the accident were also analyzed.

He told the investigation that a driving course he took in Christchurch did not teach him about the different types of bus brakes, but one of his employers did.

When questioned by David Boldt, an attorney who assisted the coroner, the driver could not give a precise answer as to where exactly he started trying to slow down or change gear.

Members of Hannah’s family were at the investigation throughout the day.

The driver expressed his regret and also said at the hearing: “I think I did the best I could under the circumstances.”

Matt Francis said earlier in the investigation that the bus was cornering much faster than it should and passengers began to panic.

He said the bus collided with a barrier on the right side of the road, then veered back and crashed into the left, hitting another barrier.

The investigation continues.