Vivid Lights Go Off For 1 Minute After Hunter Valley Coach Tragedy

In memory of the 10 lives lost in the Hunter Valley coach tragedy last night, the lights of Vivid Sydney were turned off tonight for 1 minute at 7:30pm AEST.

Ticketed events such as Lightscape, Dark Spectrum & Wild Lights were not turned off due to the fact that people need to pay to see these light installations for a limited time.

Just after 11.30pm last night, a coach containing 36 wedding guests rolled while going around a roundabout on Wine Country Drive, Greta in the Hunter Valley, 2 hours north of Sydney. New South Wales (NSW) Police have confirmed 10 people have died, 25 were taken to hospital via helicopter & road & a further 4 are uninjured.

Wine Country Drive, Greta has since been closed and detours implemented with a crime scene being established, which will be examined by specialist forensic police & the Crash Investigation Unit. An investigation into the crash’s circumstances has also commenced. The Maitland coach driver, 58 years of age and taken to hospital, has since been discharged and taken to Cessnock Police Station, where, after mandatory testing & assessment, he was charged with 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death – drive manner dangerous, and negligent driving (occasioning death). He was refused bail to appear at Cessnock Local Court on Tuesday the 13th of June.

Officers from Hunter Valley Police District, Police Rescue, Traffic & Highway Patrol, NSW Fire and Rescue, NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW Ambulance paramedics and various helicopters for hospital transports attended the scene.

Police are still working on crash victim identification and to contact the identified’s next of kin. Family & friends of a person who may have been on board the coach are urged to contact Cessnock Police Station on 02 4991 0199.

Witnesses – or anyone with information relevant to the crash’s circumstances – are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 to keep the line to Cessnock Police Station clear for concerned family members & friends. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

I extend my deepest condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of those who have been killed in this accident and those who are injured.

NSW Premier, Chris Minns