A groom is fighting for life after a minibus crashed on the way to his wedding in the NSW Hunter Valley region this morning.
The vehicle carrying the groom and his party, rolled seven times down an embankment after the taxi veered off an unsealed road at Mount View just after 10.30am.
Emergency services were confronted by a difficult scene and required a multi-agency response just to get access to the bus, which had careered 150 metres off the road just outside Cessnock.
It then took 45 minutes to cut free one of the six occupants, which included the groom and the driver.
Two of those on board were in a critical condition – the 56-year-old groom with injured limbs and a 60-year-old man with head injuries.
They were treated by a specialist team on the ground before being airlifted to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.
The four other men suffered more minor injuries and were transported by ambulance.
“It’s a tragic situation, they hadn’t actually got to the wedding yet, so they still have a wedding in front of them,” NSW Police Superintendent Steve Laksa said.
“We’re very fortunate that the injuries weren’t fatal. It definitely could’ve been worse.”
NSW Taxi Council chief executive Nick Abrahim said the manager of the taxi business spoke with the driver at the scene, who had some injuries.
“He did seem ok,” Abrahim told 9News.com.au.
“We’re just grateful that everybody was able to get out.”
Police said the driver will undergo mandatory blood and alcohol testing.
