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The parents of a 29-year-old mechanical engineer killed in the Hunter Valley bus crash are taking comfort in their son’s immense happiness before his death, as they face their first Christmas without him. 

As ‘grief raged in his heart’ after the crash, Zach Bray’s father, Adam, made a solemn promise while ‘holding my dead son’s hand in a forensic medicine centre in Newcastle,’ he revealed to The Australian Women’s Weekly.

He said he felt ‘immense anger’ when he learnt the truth behind his son’s death, but is now turning that into a positive campaign in Zach’s honour.

Speaking to the AWW in the Christmas edition on sale from today, Mr Bray and Zach’s mum, Jacqui Varasdi, also talked about how their son had already cheated death by surviving cancer at a young age. 

Zach, who worked as a mining engineer working in Singleton, had been close friends with Mitchell Gaffney and Maddy Edsell, the bride and groom whose wedding was held in the Hunter Valley’s Wandin Estate on June 11.

Jacqui Varasdi (above with her son Zach Bray) said he had been at his happiest before his tragic death in the Hunter Valley bus crash and had 'a fantastic day' at his friends' wedding

Jacqui Varasdi (above with her son Zach Bray) said he had been at his happiest before his tragic death in the Hunter Valley bus crash and had ‘a fantastic day’ at his friends’ wedding

Adam Bray (above with Zach) said he had made a promise while holding 'my dead son's hand' to campaign for better bus safety 'so this never happens again'

Adam Bray (above with Zach) said he had made a promise while holding ‘my dead son’s hand’ to campaign for better bus safety ‘so this never happens again’

At 11.30pm that evening, a Linq Buslines coach ferrying guests back to Singleton crashed at a roundabout near the Hunter Expressway off-ramp at Greta, killing 10 passengers including Zach and injuring twenty-five.

The crash turned a joyous event into a tragedy for many families, but Zach’s mum takes some comfort that her son had been enjoying his life before passing away. 

‘They had a fantastic day. He was the happiest I’d ever heard him the day before. I’m just glad he was super happy,’ Ms Varasdi told the Weekly.

The Bray family had thought that the worst was behind them. Zach has been diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of 25, and had a 34cm tumour removed before he entered remission.  

It was an ‘extraordinary’ diagnosis, doctors said, and Zach became an ambassador for The Gut Foundation.

‘After that, he got his pilot’s licence and was determined to live life to the fullest,’ Ms Varasdi said. 

‘He really packed a lot in. I know he just gave it his everything.’

Zach was monitored for signs of cancer during his remission period and was looking forward to the five year mark, when he would be in the clear. 

‘We got to four years,’ his mum said.

Zach had followed in his father’s footsteps and gained his pilot’s licence while dreaming of flying fighter jets.

At 11.30pm on June 11 the Linq coach flipped at a roundabout near the Hunter Expressway off-ramp at Greta (above) killing 10 including Zach Bray and injuring 25.

At 11.30pm on June 11 the Linq coach flipped at a roundabout near the Hunter Expressway off-ramp at Greta (above) killing 10 including Zach Bray and injuring 25.

Jacqui Varasdi (above pictured for the AWW) said she takes some comfort in the fact her son had been at his 'happiest' just before he died

Jacqui Varasdi (above pictured for the AWW) said she takes some comfort in the fact her son had been at his ‘happiest’ just before he died 

As a pilot, cancer survivor and a mining engineer, he was very safety conscious. 

‘It’s just the fact that he’d put his life in someone else’s hands, doing what you’re meant to do – that’s the hardest pill to swallow,’ Ms Varasdi said.

Mr Bray agreed. ‘That brings immense anger,’ he said. 

As pilots, he and Zach had been used to operating under the strictest safety regulations. 

‘He was all about safety, yet he’s been killed by an apathetic system that’s not safe. That irony hits me really hard,’ Mr Bray said.

‘Your beautiful first son, the person who made me a dad, a father, just gone in an instant. Boom. He’s my best friend. To have that wiped as well is a very big challenge.’

Mr Bray has previously revealed how he drove three hours from NSW’s Southern Highlands to the crash site after he was unable to locate his son at any of the nearby hospitals.

‘I’m banging the car door, I’m trying to focus, I’m calling out to him, ‘ he told Channel 9. 

‘When I arrived at the crash I was told to wait for news at a nearby cafe.

Zach Bray campaigning against bowel cancer which struck him down aged 25, but he was in remission and a year off being in the clear when he died in the Hunter Valley bus crash

Zach Bray campaigning against bowel cancer which struck him down aged 25, but he was in remission and a year off being in the clear when he died in the Hunter Valley bus crash

‘I absolutely wasn’t going to do that,’ he said, adding that when he tried to walk up the embankment towards the bus, which was still on its side, he was stopped by police.

‘I just said, “my son’s on that bus”, and they said to me, “if your son is on that bus, honestly you don’t want to see him”.

‘I just sat on the ground, on my own, and broke down, for an hour.’

Through his grief, however, Mr Bray found a sense of purpose by doing everything he could to make Australian buses and coaches safer.

‘I decided, even before Zach’s funeral, that I was going to do this,’ he said. 

‘I made some promises, holding my dead son’s hand: Fix this, so it doesn’t happen again.’

Mr Bray learnt to his dismay that Australian bus safety standards were 15 years behind those in Europe and the US.

Now, six months on and facing Christmas without his son, Mr Bray is working to establish a federally funded bus safety taskforce that will review and improve bus safety standards.

He said oversights in current standards have had fatal consequences.

But now, his mission is to have seatbelts mandated for all buses, along with enhanced bus crash data and dangerous driving reporting, plus real-time data monitoring on all commercial buses and coaches.

‘All of these technologies are in every single coach in every country in Europe. We’re just saying “catch-up. You’ve fallen behind”,’ Mr Bray said.

I won’t stop until all the reforms are done. My mission is to keep the issue front and centre as long as we can to achieve that.

‘If Zachy had survived, he’d be doing what I’m doing. He’s not here so that’s my job.’

Zach Bray's parents talk about facing their first Christmas without their on in an interview with The Australian Women's Weekly's December edition (above) on sale now

Zach Bray’s parents talk about facing their first Christmas without their on in an interview with The Australian Women’s Weekly’s December edition (above) on sale now

Ms Varasdi has vowed to continue Zach’s campaign to raise awareness of bowel cancer. 

‘He was determined to spread that word. That’s my focus and that’s what I want, to continue to spread what he started. 

‘He (Zach) was a lucky unlucky one (but) they’re all together and that, for me, is comforting to know.”

The driver of the bus, Brett Button, 59, is facing 63 charges including 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and one count of negligent driving occasioning death.

He is also charged with nine counts each of negligent driving occasioning death, of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and of negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.

Mr Button, who has entered no pleas, is also charged with 25 counts of causing bodily harm by misconduct in charge of a motor vehicle.

Currently on strict conditional bail, his matters will return to Newcastle Local Court in January ahead of a trial in the NSW District Court. 

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This post first appeared on Daily mail