Five months after the accident, police have charged the truck driver involved in an eastern Bay of Plenty crash with a bus that injured more than 30 people, including 16 students.
The 42-year-old local man has been charged with dangerous driving causing injury and will appear in Whakatane District Court on February 23, police said on Wednesday.
The crash, near Ruatoki, south of Whakatane, on September 5 left more than 30 people needing medical attention. The truck driver was one of those injured.
Police allege he failed to stop short, or manoeuvre around, the school bus as it was pulling over to let children off.
Bay of Plenty road policing manager, Inspector Kevin Taylor, says charges were laid after a thorough investigation, which was completed late last year and then reviewed.
Insp Taylor said the children's injuries were serious enough to warrant laying charges.
"This was a very serious crash - one of the worst and most upsetting, in terms of the number of young victims, that had ever been attended by many of our police staff and other emergency services."
The dangerous driving causing injury charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $20,000. Other penalties may include loss of licence.
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