Bus driver had 'microsleep' before fatal crash, jury hears

Bus driver's trial over fatal Gumlu crash continues in TownsvilleBy Meghan DansieABC North QldTopic:Courts3h ago3 hours agoTue 28 Apr 2026 at 7:33amPeter Cafe told police he was not feeling tired before he had a "microsleep", the court heard. (ABC News: Baz Ruddick)In short:The trial of a Greyhound bus driver accused of causing the deaths of three passengers in Queensland has entered its second day.The court heard from police officers who attended the scene and a passenger.What's next?The trial continues in the Townsville District Court.abc.net.au/news/gumlu-fatal-bus-crash-trial/106617474Link copiedShareShare articleThe first police officers to arrive on the scene of a fatal bus crash in north Queensland have told the court of their conversations with the driver in the immediate aftermath of the incident.Townsville resident Peter Jason Cafe, 53, was driving a Greyhound bus that crashed on the Bruce Highway at Gumlu, between Bowen and Ayr, killing three passengers and seriously injuring two others on June 30, 2024.Mr Cafe has pleaded not guilty to one count of dangerously operating a motor vehicle causing death or grievous bodily harm.On Tuesday, the second day of the trial in the Townsville District Court, the jury heard from first responders, a bus passenger and drivers travelling in the area at the time.Jury shown roadside interview with driverThe jury was shown footage recorded by Acting Senior Constable Liam Wivell showed an interview with Mr Cafe shortly after the crash occurred."Immediately before the crash, I'd obviously had a microsleep and I'd drifted to the right-hand side," Mr Cafe said in the body-camera video."I became aware the vehicle was about 50 to 75 metres in front of me and I corrected heavily to the left, and clipped him by about a foot."Mr Cafe was heard telling the officer that correcting "as much as I did" prevented a head-on collision.Three people died and two others were seriously injured in the crash. (Supplied: Farah Priela)In the roadside police interview Mr Cafe said he felt he had had sufficient sleep the day before the journey, which began in Rockhampton about an hour later than scheduled."That delayed departure obviously got to me, but that's the thing about it, that I hadn't been feeling fatigued," he said."I'd just had my rest stop at Longford Creek [92 kilometres away] and I wasn't feeling fatigued, I wasn't yawning or anything."As officers checked Mr Cafe for minor injuries he was heard expressing concern about the future."Damn it, there goes my life," he said in the footage."These people trusted me."Crown prosecutor Monique Sheppard told jurors on the first day of the trial that they would need to establish whether Mr Cafe had made a "serious breach of proper conduct".Ms Sheppard said the jury would need to decide whether Mr Cafe had consciously driven the bus onto the wrong side of the highway, or if he had consciously chosen to drive knowing he was fatigued.Monique Sheppard told jurors it was their job to establish whether a "serious breach of proper conduct" had occurred. (ABC News: Baz Ruddick)Breaks shortened, passenger tells courtProsecution witness Nicola Exelby was on board the bus when it crashed.She told the court that on the morning of the crash the bus departed Rockhampton at about 2am, roughly an hour after she boarded."[Mr Cafe] told everybody that we were behind schedule and we wouldn't be making that time up, so to sit back and enjoy the ride because we'd be getting to our end…

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