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

A wedding bus driver who had taken a large amount of painkillers before getting behind the wheel crashed in Australia’s Hunter Valley — killing 10 people and injuring 25 others — and now, a court has upheld his 32-year prison sentence.

Brett Andrew Button rolled the charter bus he was driving near Greta, New South Wales, on June 11, 2023, as guests returned from a wedding reception, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), 9News and news.com.au.

Ten passengers were killed, including several young couples and a mother and daughter, and two children were left orphaned. Survivors described the moments before impact as scary, with one telling 9News the “sensation of falling sideways and being completely powerless was terrifying.”

Button had taken significantly more than the recommended maximum dose of the opioid painkiller Tramadol and was speeding as he approached a roundabout, according to ABC, news.com.au and AAP.

Court documents said he joked to passengers, “This next part’s going to be fun,” before accelerating into the turn, per the outlets. The bus tipped, slid and struck a guardrail.

He later told the court he did not believe he was impaired because he had taken the medication for years — but prosecutors argued he knew he was under the drug’s influence because he had previously been fired from a job after his employer learned he had become addicted, according to 9News and news.com.au.

Button initially faced 10 counts of manslaughter before prosecutors accepted a plea deal that downgraded the charges.

He pleaded guilty to 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death, nine counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and 16 counts of driving furiously and causing bodily harm, the outlets reported.

He received a 32-year prison sentence with a 24-year non-parole period, according to the outlets.

Adam Bray, whose son Zach Bray was killed in the crash, told ABC that he was shocked more serious charges against the driver were dismissed.

“To get a call two days ago, sitting overseas, trying to get on with my healing journey, it is disgusting,” he told the outlet. “I pity this driver’s family. I don’t pity him … because he’s broken the law and he’s taken lives unnecessarily.”

During sentencing, the court heard that Button had taken “significantly in excess” of the recommended Tramadol limit and had engaged in “risk-taking behavior” before the rollover, according to ABC, news.com.au and AAP.

Judges said his conduct had catastrophic consequences, noting the widespread devastation among victims and their families, per the outlets.

Button appealed the sentence, arguing it was disproportionate and that the judge erred in assessing the tipping point of the bus and his level of impairment.

A three-judge panel rejected the arguments and found there were no “material errors” in the original ruling, according to ABC, 9News and news.com.au. The judges said Button “knew that the drug had the capacity to affect his ability to drive,” per ABC.

One judge wrote that the impact of the crash was “incalculable and ongoing,” noting that “ten families have lost a member, two young children have been orphaned, five adults have lost their intimate partners, [and] one survivor has lost not only his wife but their only child,” according to ABC.

Families of the victims expressed relief when the appeal was dismissed on Friday, Nov. 14.

Adam Bray, who lost his 27-year-old son Zach, told the outlet the ruling felt like “justice being upheld,” adding, that those “who are affected and those who have empathy for the affected parties would believe it is just and it is justice.”

Button will be eligible for parole in 2048.