Groom Airlifted After Wedding Minibus Plunges Down Embankment Near Cessnock

newy.com.au – A wedding minibus carrying six people, including the groom and his groomsmen, crashed down an embankment near Cessnock in the Hunter Valley late Wednesday morning, 30 July 2025, leaving two men seriously injured. The crash occurred around 10:30am on Mount View Road near the turn-off to Tallavera Grove.

Emergency services responded after the Toyota HiAce, operated by Cessnock & Branxton Taxis, veered off the unsealed road and rolled down an embankment. NSW Police have confirmed the vehicle left the roadway before tumbling approximately 40 metres, although some reports estimate the drop to be as much as 150 metres with multiple rollovers.

Six men were on board, including the 56-year-old groom, John Barrett, who was critically injured and airlifted to John Hunter Hospital with reported limb injuries. A man in his 60s also sustained serious head and spinal injuries. Four others, including the driver, were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and taken to hospital by road ambulance.

Cessnock Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) played a critical role in the response, with one patient taking around 45 minutes to be safely extricated due to the steep and difficult terrain. NSW Police established a crime scene, and the driver was subject to mandatory drug and alcohol testing, standard procedure for serious crashes.

While the cause is still under investigation, authorities have cited the wet and unsealed road conditions as potential contributing factors. The crash has stirred painful memories in the region, coming two years after the fatal wedding bus crash at Greta, although the circumstances are unrelated.

As of 1 August, John Barrett remains in hospital. The investigation continues.

Watch the latest on the Mount View Bus Crash here:

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