Hunter Valley bus crash
| Hunter Valley bus crash | |
|---|---|
 Aftermath of the crash | |
| Details | |
| Date | 11 June 2023 23:30 |
| Location | Greta, New South Wales |
| Country | Australia |
| Operator | Linq Buslines |
| Service | Charter |
| Incident type | Rollover |
| Cause | High speed, driver culpability and medication impairment |
| Statistics | |
| Bus | Volvo B7R |
| Vehicles | 1 |
| Passengers | 35 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Deaths | 10 |
| Injured | 25 |
On 11 June 2023, a bus overturned at Greta in the Hunter Valley, Australia. The bus was transferring guests from a wedding at Lovedale to Singleton. Ten people were killed with another 25 taken to hospital.
The bus driver pleaded guilty to dangerous and negligent driving occasioning death, and was sentenced to 32 years in prison with a non-parole period of 24 years. It was the worst Australian road crash since 1994 when twelve people were killed when a bus overturned near Boondall, Queensland.[1][2]
Crash
[edit]At 23:30 on 11 June 2023, a 2009 Coach Design bodied Volvo B7R bus operated by Linq Buslines overturned while negotiating a grade separated roundabout at the M15 / Wine Country Drive interchange near Greta. The bus was taking guests from a wedding at a winery in Lovedale to a Singleton hotel.[3]
Ten passengers were killed and a further 25 were taken to hospitals. The injured were treated at John Hunter Hospital, Maitland Hospital and Calvary Mater in Newcastle, and one was airlifted to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.[4]
Legal proceedings
[edit]The 58-year-old bus driver, Brett Button, was arrested and taken to Cessnock police station. A mandatory drug test determined that he had taken 400 mg of tramadol during the previous 24 hours, enough to impair his driving ability.[5] On 12 June he was charged with ten counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and one count of negligent driving occasioning death.[6] He was released on bail of $10,000.[7] In January 2024, Button was further charged with ten counts of manslaughter.[8]
On 8 May 2024, after the prosecution dropped the manslaughter charges, Button pleaded guilty to ten counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and other charges. He was remanded in custody for sentencing later in 2024. It was also presented in court that Button was addicted to painkillers, and these may have affected his driving performance on the day of the crash.[9]
On 11 September 2024, Button was sentenced to 32 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 24 years.[10] Button has appealed against the severity of the sentence and errors in the judge's findings. His appeal will be heard on 3 October 2025.[11]
On 14 November 2025, Button lost his appeal against the length of his sentence. The three appeal judges found that he did not meet any of the three grounds of his appeal, including that the sentence was unreasonable or unjust, Button will be eligible for parole in 2048.[12]
On 16 June 2023, the NSW Office of Transport Safety Investigations announced an investigation into the crash.[13] Their report was released on 31 July 2026.[14] In August 2026, Linq Buslines was fined $650,000 and its two directors, Christopher Fogg and Anthony Royle, $12,000 each after pleading guilty to breaking multiple National Heavy Vehicle Regulator law breaches.[15]
Background
[edit]The bride and groom were members of the Singleton Roosters Australian football club.[16] The groom was previously a member of Warrandyte Cricket Club, as were nine of the injured guests.[4]
Linq Buslines
[edit]Linq Buslines was a bus operator with depots in East Gresford and Wyong.[17] It was established in July 2008 when Millers Coaches of East Gresford was purchased by a partnership of Christopher Fogg and Anthony Royle, who were the managing directors of Port Stephens Coaches and Forest Coach Lines respectively, with 11 vehicles.[18][19] In December 2019, Road Runner Tours of Wyong was purchased with 11 vehicles.[20]
It operated school services in the Hunter Valley under contract to Transport for NSW.[21] It ceased in September 2025 when its Transport for NSW contracts were not renewed with its services taken over by the Buslines Group.[15][22]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ What we know about the fatal Hunter Valley wedding bus crash, ABC News, 12 June 2023
- ↑ Wide Bay Tours Bus Crash, Monument Australia, 15 June 2023
- ↑ "Ten killed, 21 injured after bus carrying wedding guests crashes in Australia". The Herald (Glasgow). 2023-06-12. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
- 1 2 Mitchell, Olivia Ireland, Georgina (2023-06-12). "Hunter Valley bus crash updates: Multiple people killed in wedding bus tragedy; driver arrested, expected to be charged". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Hunter Valley bus crash driver to come face to face with devastated loved ones of those killed". ABC News. 2024-09-07. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
- ↑ Gorrey, Olivia Ireland, Georgina Mitchell, Megan (2023-06-12). "Hunter Valley bus crash updates: Multiple people killed in wedding bus tragedy; driver charged". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Mitchell, Georgina; Ireland, Olivia (13 June 2023). "Hunter Valley bus crash updates: Driver Brett Button told passengers to 'fasten your seatbelts' moments before crash, court hears; NSW Police continue to identify victims". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
- ↑ "Hunter Valley bus driver formally charged with 10 counts of manslaughter over wedding crash". ABC News. 2024-01-16. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
- ↑ Duffin, Perry (2024-05-08). "Hunter Valley bus driver addicted to drugs". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
- ↑ Duffin, Perry (2024-09-11). "'Extraordinary devastation': Hunter bus driver to spend decades in prison". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
- ↑ "Hunter Valley bus crash driver to fight 32-year sentence". ABC News. 2025-07-03. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ↑ "Wedding bus crash driver loses court appeal against his sentence". ABC News. 2025-11-13. Retrieved 2025-11-14.
- ↑ Place, Movement and (2023-06-16). "Rollover of coach 4666MO - Greta, NSW - 11 June 2023". Office of Transport Safety Investigations. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
- ↑ "Rollover of coach 4666MO - Greta, NSW - 11 June 2023". www.otsi.nsw.gov.au. 2026-07-31. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
- 1 2 Grief laid bare as bus company and directors sentenced over deadly Greta crash ABC News 25 August 2026
- ↑ Carey, Alexis (12 June 2023). "Bride and groom identified after Hunter Valley wedding bus crash left 10 dead, 25 hospitalised". News.com.au.
- ↑ Fleet Linq Buslines
- ↑ Linq Buslines Australian Bus issue 31 January 2009 page 30
- ↑ Famous bus family icons face sentencing over Hunter bus crash duty of care and diligence breaches Truck & Bus 25 August 2026
- ↑ Road Runner Tours sold to Linq Buslines Australian Bus issue 98 March 2020 page 7
- ↑ School Services Linq Buslines
- ↑ Linq Buslines Australian Bus Fleet Lists