John Barrett was involved in a serious minibus accident near Cessnock in the NSW Hunter Valley region while en route to his wedding. The minibus, carrying Barrett and five others, rolled down an embankment seven times on a Wednesday morning. After being extricated from the wreckage, Barrett, a father of four, was taken to Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital in critical condition.
Fortunately, Barrett’s family reported that all individuals involved in the crash are “okay,” despite varying injuries. Three have since been discharged and are recuperating at home, while the other members of the group are currently in a general ward together, supporting one another through their recovery process. The driver sustained injuries and underwent mandatory blood and alcohol testing following the incident. Barrett’s family has urged the public to refrain from making negative comments about the driver, highlighting that he is also experiencing the trauma of the event.
Notably, Barrett had recently been diagnosed with motor neurone disease. He was just hours away from marrying his fiancée, Michelle Murphy, at a reception planned at Bistro Molines, where the couple regularly dined. NSW Police Superintendent Steve Laksa commented on the situation, noting the tragic timing, as the wedding had not yet taken place, but expressed relief that none of the injuries sustained were fatal, acknowledging that the outcome could have been much worse.
This accident marks the second wedding-related bus crash in the Hunter Valley within two years, with a previous incident in June 2023 resulting in the deaths of ten individuals and injuries to another twenty-five. Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the recent crash are ongoing, as authorities seek to ascertain how such a devastating event occurred.