<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A truck driver has been jailed for more than 12 years after crashing into a school bus and seriously injuring many students.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Brett Michael Russell, 63, collided with the back of a bus carrying 32 people, including 27 Loreto College Ballarat students, in September 2022.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The students and teachers had been on their way to Melbourne Airport to travel to the United States for a NASA camp.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/victoria-machete-ban-jacinta-allan-new-penalties-explained/73bd7cf2-c0da-430f-93ea-a2be31a5a765"><strong><span>Victoria's $13 million machete amnesty has ended. Here are the new penalties</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>No one died in the crash, but most of the passengers were taken to hospital and 10 of them suffered serious injuries including spinal fractures.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Russell in October pleaded guilty in the Victorian County Court to 12 offences, including 10 counts of negligently causing serious injury.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He admitted he knew the brakes of his 62-tonne vehicle had been faulty before he got behind the wheel on September 21.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/truck-driver-brett-michael-russell-jailed-for-injuring-loreto-college-students-in-horror-bus-crash/7affed16-1262-4a8f-a828-403d85b1a4cc" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But his barrister argued Russell's actions after the crash, including early admissions to police about the brakes and his guilty pleas, showed his "fundamental decency".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In sentencing Russell to 12 years and nine months' jail, Judge Michael O'Connell accepted the 63-year-old had been frank with investigators and was profoundly remorseful.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But the judge noted the suffering of the staff, students, bus driver and bystanders, saying the collision had clearly been a nightmare for all of those involved.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"You knew you were taking a serious risk," Judge O'Connell said today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Russell, who went into custody ahead of his sentencing, watched via video link from prison as his sentence was handed down.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He will be eligible for parole after eight years.</span></div></div>