A groom and one of his groomsmen are in serious condition after their minibus veered off the road and rolled down a steep embankment while en route to a wedding in Hunter Valley, Australia.
The crash occurred around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 30, along Mount View Road, according to a statement from the New South Wales (NSW) Police Force. Responding officers arrived to find the vehicle had plunged down an embankment—rolling as many as seven times before coming to a stop nearly 500 feet from the road.
Authorities confirmed that six people were in the minibus, which was transporting members of the groom’s party to the ceremony. The 56-year-old groom and another man in his 60s sustained serious injuries and were airlifted to John Hunter Hospital. The other four passengers were also taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
“A crime scene has been established by officers attached to Hunter Valley Police District,” the NSW Police said.
Superintendent Steve Laksa, the local police district commander, confirmed the groom was among the injured and noted how fortunate it was that no one was killed.
“They hadn’t even arrived at the wedding yet,” Laksa said. “We’re very fortunate the injuries weren’t fatal.”
Emergency personnel worked for 45 minutes to extract one of the injured men from the wreckage, according to NSW Ambulance Acting Superintendent Jake Broughton-Rouse.
Authorities say road and weather conditions—drizzling rain and an unsealed dirt road—may have contributed to the crash. While there’s currently no indication that alcohol played a role, the minibus driver will undergo standard blood and alcohol testing, as required by law.
The investigation remains ongoing. NSW Health has not yet released any updates on the victims’ conditions.
