Bus driver charged over death of Tia Cameron, 18, believed he was braking at time of fatal CBD collision: court

A bus driver accused of causing the death of a young woman did not engage the brakes at all before the fatal moment he swerved and hit her, leading to “catastrophic” injuries, a court has been told. Family members of Tia Cameron, 18, packed Brisbane Magistrates Court as Lindsay Francis Selby faced a single-day hearing over the horrific crash which claimed Ms Cameron’s life. Police allege Mr Selby, 70, was behind the wheel of a Brisbane City Council bus when it mounted the footpath and crashed after he turned onto Edward St in Brisbane. Ms Cameron died in the resulting collision. When arraigned before Magistrate Aaron Simpson on Tuesday, Mr Selby entered a plea of not guilty to a single charge of driving without due care and attention causing Ms Cameron’s death. CCTV and internal camera footage inside the bus was played to the court, capturing the moment Mr Selby rounded the corner and crashed the bus against the Anzac Square building about 5pm on March 8, 2024. Audible sobs were heard from the public in the back of the courtroom as the footage was played. One member of Ms Cameron’s family chose to leave the court when the clip rolled. The brakes were not engaged at all before the collision, barrister Susan Hedge — acting for the Queensland Police — said in her opening address. Mr Selby was performing a split shift on the day of Ms Cameron’s death and was hours into his second stint behind the wheel. The court was told Mr Selby turned the bus into Edward St on the day of the crash but swerved the vehicle onto the footpath to avoid traffic ahead. Ms Hedge said after the crash, Mr Selby allegedly gave different versions of what had occurred including that he believed his foot became caught on the accelerator or that he had missed the brakes altogether. She said Mr Selby had “ample” opportunity to stop the bus and was either not paying sufficient attention to the traffic, or did not have his leg in position to use the brake properly. Barrister Saul Holt KC, representing Mr Selby, said it was accepted the brakes were not engaged at any stage. But he said his client genuinely believed he was pressing the brake at the time and performed the manoeuvre when he realised the bus was not slowing down. Ms Cameron’s family members were shaking their heads as the defence outlined their ultimate submission was that Mr Selby “thought” he was pressing the brake when he was actually pressing the accelerator. Senior constable Martin Jackson, attached to the Brisbane Forensic Crash Unit, gave evidence he was called to the crash on Edward St, arriving about 5.45pm. He later spoke to Mr Selby in hospital, seizing his shoes as part of the investigation. The court was told Mr Selby’s conversation with the officer was recorded on his bodycam, where he is heard saying: “I was in a situation where I was applying the brake, apparently I wasn’t.” In the footage, Mr Selby says he was not speeding and attempted to stop the bus. The hearing continues.