Survivors of deadly Hunter Valley bus crash call for change after report finds systemic failures

Wedding guests and bereaved families say the deaths of 10 people were preventable and demand action

By LineZotpaper

Published19 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Survivors of the Hunter Valley bus crash that killed 10 wedding guests in June 2023 have broken their silence, demanding action after an investigation found systemic failures allowed the driver to remain on the road.

Speaking to ABC's Australian Story, survivors and bereaved families said the crash was the product of failures across the system, not one man's actions alone, and called for reforms so it never happens again.

"We need to step in and speak up and prevent these things from happening again," said Jason Junkeer. "There's been some catastrophic errors in judgement."

Jason and his wife Sharyn were among the guests being driven home from a vineyard wedding at Lovedale when the bus veered out of control on a roundabout near Greta, tipped onto its side and smashed into a crash barrier. Jason, thrown into the windscreen, helped other guests free themselves from jammed seatbelts before passing out. Sharyn, who broke her back and pelvis, dragged herself out through the manhole exit and walked about 20 metres barefoot before collapsing.

"That was a very powerful moment when we both realised that we had escaped," Sharyn said. She has had to learn to walk again and is still recovering from a severe hip injury. She was careful to note that she does not claim to speak for the other families. "I never want to be seen to be speaking on behalf of anyone else."

The investigation by the NSW Office of Transport Safety Investigations (OTSI) found the driver, Brett Button, then 58, had taken more than his prescribed dose of the opioid tramadol. The bus was travelling at 56.48 km/h entering the corner, and a speed above 47 km/h was likely to lead to a rollover.

The report documented a chain of missed warnings. Button was sent to a pain management clinic in 2022 as part of a WorkCover claim, which noted "an opiate dependence disorder with features of vulnerability to addiction". His then employer, CDC NSW, suspended him from driving in June 2022, but he resigned that October, the day before an independent medical assessment, and later joined Linq Buslines.

OTSI found CDC NSW did not disclose Button's health issues to Linq because privacy legislation prevented it sharing health information without consent. A judge in a recent court case against Linq described its reference check of Button as "flippant". Twelve complaints upheld against Button during six years at CDC were not passed on, and there is no record of Transport for NSW being advised of his substance misuse. Tramadol is not a banned substance for bus driving.

Matt and Leanne Mullen, whose 26-year-old daughter Rebecca, a junior doctor, died in the crash, share the view that blame extends beyond the driver. "The crash was a result of a perfect storm of mistakes, perfect storm of a lack of accountability, system failures, processes that don't work properly and a whole mismatch of agencies that aren't working together," Leanne said.

Button was originally charged with 10 counts of manslaughter, later downgraded after a plea deal to 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death. He pleaded guilty to 25 other charges and was sentenced to 32 years' jail, with a non-parole period of 24 years. Matt Mullen said the sentence left him numb. "It didn't change anything." Button apologised in 2024, saying: "I live with this every day... I can't forgive myself."

Analysis

Why This Matters

The OTSI report shows the crash followed a chain of missed warnings: a suspended driver, a withheld health assessment, a cursory reference check and a regulator not told of a driver's substance misuse. Survivors argue the deaths were preventable.
The families' public call for change pressures NSW authorities and bus companies to review how driver health information and complaint histories are shared between employers.
The driver has been jailed for 32 years, but the bereaved families say punishing Button did not fix the system that let him keep driving.

Background

In June 2023, guests at a vineyard wedding in Lovedale in the Hunter Valley were being driven to their accommodation when their bus crashed on a roundabout near Greta, killing 10 people. The driver, Brett Button, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving charges and was sentenced to 32 years in jail. The NSW Office of Transport Safety Investigations then examined how Button, who had an opioid dependence, came to be behind the wheel, and its recently released report documented a series of failures in the checks between his former employer, his new employer and the state regulator.

Key Perspectives

Survivors and bereaved families: The Junkeers and the Mullens say the crash resulted from failures across multiple agencies, not just the driver's actions, and are calling for change. Sharyn Junkeer stresses she does not speak for the other victims' families, but wants action so this never happens again.

The driver: Brett Button pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 32 years' jail, and apologised in 2024, saying he lives with what happened every day and cannot forgive himself.

Bus companies and regulators: The OTSI report records where the system broke down: CDC NSW cited privacy law in not passing on Button's health information, Linq's reference check was criticised as "flippant" in court, and there is no record that Transport for NSW was advised of his substance misuse.

What to Watch

Whether the NSW government or Transport for NSW acts on the OTSI report with changes to how driver health information and complaint records are shared between bus companies.
The court case against Linq Buslines over its hiring of Button, and whether it adds pressure for reform.
Whether the survivors' call for action prompts a review of bus driver fitness standards, including the status of medications such as tramadol.

Sources

Survivors of 'bus trip from hell' break silence with a call for change · Just In

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedSurvivors called for change after the OTSI report was released.Just In: “What Sharyn and Jason want is action.”
Partly supportedThe investigation found systemic failures that allowed Button to remain on the road.Just In: “But they all believe that a failure to stop Button driving, despite reason to do so, and other systemic failures, are also to blame.”
SupportedWedding guests and bereaved families said the deaths were preventable and demanded action.Just In: “But they all believe that a failure to stop Button driving, despite reason to do so, and other systemic failures, are also to blame.”
SupportedThe Hunter Valley bus crash killed 10 people.Just In: “the June 2023 crash that killed 10 people and left others with catastrophic injuries”
SupportedJason Junkeer said, “We need to step in and speak up and prevent these things from happening again” and “There's been some catastrophic errors in judgement.”Just In: “"We need to step in and speak up and prevent these things from happening again," Jason tells Australian Story. "There's been some catastrophic errors in judgement."”
SupportedSharyn Junkeer said, “That was a very powerful moment when we both realised that we had escaped.”Just In: “"That was a very powerful moment when we both realised that we had escaped," Sharyn says.”
SupportedSharyn Junkeer said, “I never want to be seen to be speaking on behalf of anyone else.”Just In: “"I never want to be seen to be speaking on behalf of anyone else."”
SupportedLeanne Mullen said the crash resulted from a “perfect storm” of mistakes, failed accountability, systemic failures and agencies not working together.Just In: “"The crash was a result of a perfect storm of mistakes, perfect storm of a lack of accountability, system failures, processes that don't work properly and a whole mismatch of agencies that aren't working together."”
SupportedThe bus entered the corner at 56.48 km/h, while a speed above 47 km/h was likely to cause a rollover.Just In: “The OTSI report found he was unable to negotiate the right-hand corner at 56.48km/h, the speed the bus was travelling in the moments before it tipped. The report found a speed above 47km/h was likely to lead to a rollover.”
SupportedButton was sentenced to 32 years in jail with a 24-year non-parole period.Just In: “Button pleaded guilty to 25 other charges and was sentenced to 32 years' jail, with a non-parole period of 24 years .”
Sources say otherwiseSharyn dragged herself out of the bus through the manhole exit.Just In: “The man reached for Sharyn's arms and, with "superhuman strength", pulled her out.”
Sources say otherwiseButton resigned the day before an independent medical assessment in October 2022.Just In: “On October 19, Button was to have an independent medical assessment before being allowed to return to work. He resigned that day.”