Brisbane bus driver pleads not guilty in fatal CBD crash that killed 18-year-old
Magistrate to deliver written verdict Oct. 30 after one-day hearing; family cried as graphic footage of the collision was shown in court.
A Brisbane bus driver has pleaded not guilty to driving without due care and attention causing death in connection with the March 8, 2024 crash that killed 18-year-old Tia Cameron in Brisbane's central business district. The case was heard in a one-day Brisbane Magistrates Court proceeding, where CCTV and in-bus footage were shown to illustrate the sequence of events. Magistrate Aaron Simpson reserved his verdict, with a written decision to be delivered on Oct. 30.
Selby, a 70-year-old driver, faced the court as the family of Ms. Cameron watched, crying as the footage of the collision was played. The prosecution and defence presented sharply different interpretations of why the crash occurred, with both sides agreeing that the bus turned onto a busy street and failed to apply the brakes before mounting a footpath and striking pedestrians.
Selby told police after the crash that he believed he was about to slam into four lanes of traffic, and his counsel argued that he made a split-second decision to swerve to avoid vehicles in front of him. The defence emphasized that the driver moved the steering wheel to the left and steered toward a building in an attempt to slow down, acknowledging that there was someone in the way he did not see. The defense called the incident a tragic decision rather than a blameless accident.
Prosecutor Susan Hedge contended that Selby’s conduct behind the wheel fell below the standard expected of a professional driver, and that there was enough time and distance for the bus to have stopped. The prosecution argued that the driver should have anticipated the risk and braked earlier, and that the failure to brake contributed to the senseless loss of life and injuries to others.
Video played in court showed Selby turning away from the train station at an intersection before veering onto the footpath. A CCTV clip from inside the bus captured him steering with one hand in the seconds before impact. The footage depicted Ms. Cameron among pedestrians as the bus struck a wall, trapping people in the doorway and windows. The defence maintained the footage suggested Selby had a clear view of the road ahead and would have instinctively braked if feasible, and that it was a deeply unfortunate, preventable outcome rather than deliberate recklessness.
Queensland police forensic crash officers testified that they had no trouble engaging the brakes on Selby’s bus during testing, even when one officer wore the driver’s shoes to simulate conditions. Ms. Cameron had just left a nearby salon when the crash occurred; she died at the scene, and four bus passengers sustained minor injuries.
The hearing did not involve a jury; the magistrate will determine the verdict based on the evidence presented. Both Ms. Cameron’s family and Selby declined to comment as they left the court building.
A verdict is expected to be delivered in writing on Oct. 30, with the impact of the case likely to influence ongoing debates about road safety and professional-driver standards in urban Brisbane.