Wedding Bus Driver Took Painkillers, Crashed and Killed 10 People. Court Ruled to Uphold 32-Year Prison Sentence

A bus driver who took an excessive amount of painkillers before a tragic wedding transportation crash in Australia’s Hunter Valley — resulting in 10 deaths and 25 injuries — will remain behind bars after a court upheld his 32-year sentence.

Brett Andrew Button was driving a charter bus near Greta, New South Wales, on June 11, 2023, transporting guests back from a wedding reception, when he lost control and rolled the vehicle, according to ABC, 9News and news.com.au.

The crash killed 10 passengers — including young couples and a mother and daughter — and left two children without parents. Survivors later recalled moments of fear before the bus tipped, describing the feeling of falling sideways as “terrifying,” 9News reported.

Court records show Button had taken far beyond the recommended dose of the opioid Tramadol and was speeding toward a roundabout before the wreck, per ABC, news.com.au and AAP. He reportedly joked to passengers, “This next part’s going to be fun,” just before accelerating into the turn.

Prosecutors said Button knew he was impaired, noting he had previously been dismissed from a job due to his addiction, despite his claims in court that he believed he could still drive safely because he had been on the medication for years.

Button was initially charged with 10 counts of manslaughter, but prosecutors later accepted a plea deal reducing the charges. He pleaded guilty to 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death, nine counts of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm and 16 counts of driving furiously and causing bodily harm.

He was sentenced to 32 years in prison with a 24-year non-parole period.

Families of victims were stunned when the more serious charges were dropped. Adam Bray, whose son Zach died in the crash, told ABC he was disgusted by the process and believed Button had taken lives “unnecessarily.”

During sentencing, the court emphasized Button’s “risk-taking behavior” and the “significantly in excess” dosage of Tramadol he had consumed, describing the widespread emotional devastation caused by the crash.

Button later appealed the sentence, arguing that the penalty was excessive and that the court didn’t properly assess the bus’s tipping point or his degree of impairment.

A three-judge panel rejected his appeal, finding the original decision was free of “material errors,” according to ABC, 9News and news.com.au. The judges ruled that Button was fully aware his medication could impair his ability to drive.

In their decision, one judge wrote that the tragedy’s impact was “incalculable and ongoing,” noting that ten families lost loved ones, two children were orphaned, multiple adults lost their partners, and one survivor lost both his wife and their only child.

Relatives of victims expressed a sense of justice after the appeal was dismissed. Adam Bray told ABC the outcome felt like “justice being upheld,” adding that anyone who empathized with the affected families would view the ruling as fair.

Button will be eligible for parole in 2048.