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A 14-year-old boy who died after he was allegedly hit by a bus outside his school has been remembered as ‘the best little brother’.
Cameron Millen was killed outside Macarthur Anglican School at Cobbitty, in Sydney‘s south-west, just before 3pm on Wednesday.
Mother-of-eight and bus driver Penina Lopesi, 54, has been charged and appeared in Liverpool Local Court on Thursday where she was granted bail.
Tributes have poured in for the little boy with his older brother, who is a Year 11 student at the same school, sharing a heartbreaking message.
A 14-year-old boy who died after he was allegedly hit by a bus outside his school has been remembered as ‘the best little brother’
The bus driver (pictured) allegedly hit the Year 9 student outside Macarthur Anglican School
‘Rest in peace little bro,’ he wrote on Instagram.
‘You were the best little brother I could have ever asked for. Though I found you annoying sometimes, you were always there for me and I can’t believe you’re gone.’
‘I will do my best to make you proud lil’ man. Love you.’
Headmaster David Knockles said Cameron was a student who ‘engaged himself in the life of our school’.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy’s family, including his brother in Yr 11, as they deal with unimaginable grief and heartache,’ he said.
‘The school appreciates the tangible support for our school community as we work through this terrible shock and loss to the wider Macarthur family.’
Friends and members of the public joined in sharing their condolences.
‘I will always remember busting you in my pantry, helping you look scary for Halloween and hanging with my kids,’ a family friend posted online.
‘Rest in peace dude. X. Thinking of your mum and dad and brother.’
One mate added: ‘Rest easy, love you lots my bro.’
Another wrote: ‘Rip, miss you lots from me and my brother.’
Supported by her husband and eight children who filled the courtroom on Thursday, Lopesi was granted bail with strict conditions.
She must surrender her passport and refrain from going within 5km of Macarthur Anglican School.
Mother-of-eight and bus driver Penina Lopesi, 54, has been charged and appeared in Liverpool Local Court on Thursday where she was granted bail
She was also barred from getting into the driver’s seat of any vehicle, and has to report to police three times a week.
These conditions, as well as her strong family support, mitigated concerns by police prosecutors that she would fail to attend court in future and remained a risk to the community.
‘I accept at this stage there is no explanation for the conduct and there is nothing to suggest there was a medical issue or any fault of the vehicle,’ the magistrate said in granting bail.
Outside court, Lopesi’s lawyer Mostafa Daoudie said his client had been impacted by the tragedy and requested her privacy.
‘There are no winners in these types of cases. It’s a very unfortunate event,’ he said.
Mr Daoudie said the potential she suffered a medical episode or whether the bus had an engineering fault, such as with its wheel or handbrake, would be investigated.
On the day of the incident, the 54-year-old was taken to Liverpool Police Station for mandatory testing, and was later arrested and charged. Her licence was also suspended.
She faces one count of dangerous driving occasioning death and another count of negligent driving occasioning death.
Inquiries about the cause of the accident are still in their early days.
The 54-year-old remained still for some period after the accident in ‘some kind of shock’, prosecutors told the court.
Investigations into Lopesi’s health or any engineering issues with the bus are ongoing.
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