Newcastle Crash Injures 10 Ahead of NRL Grand Final
A car struck a crowd in Newcastle on Saturday morning as fans gathered to farewell the Newcastle Knights before the NRL grand final. Ten people were injured…
NEWCASTLE — A newcastle crash injured 10 people on Saturday morning when a car struck a crowd of Newcastle Knights supporters gathered in Wallsend to farewell the team before the NRL grand final.
New South Wales police said two people — a five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man — were in critical condition. Eight others were in stable condition after being treated at the scene and taken to John Hunter hospital.
Driver arrested at the scene
Police arrested an 18-year-old man at the scene and took him to hospital for mandatory testing, according to NSW police. The man was driving a P-plate vehicle, and officers said he was expected to be charged later on Saturday.
Assistant commissioner David Waddell said there were reports the driver had been driving erratically before losing control and careening into the crowd. He said the man had two others in the car with him.
“We had to get them out of there because the crowd did turn on them,” Waddell said.
The crash happened on Newcastle Link Road at the Transfield Drive roundabout in Wallsend about 9.30am on Saturday, after emergency services were called to reports that a vehicle had struck multiple people in a crowd. Police said the incident was not believed to be related to terrorism.
Crowd gathered for Knights farewell
The crowd had gathered to farewell the local rugby league side, the Newcastle Knights, ahead of their grand final against the Sydney Roosters on Sunday. The scene quickly turned chaotic. Ambulance crews treated the injured on site before transferring them to hospital.
Those hurt included three children, according to the reports from police and local officials. The Guardian reported that the injured also included a two-year-old girl and another five-year-old girl, while the eight stable patients were being monitored after hospital treatment.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Gavin Morris said the driver was a rugby league fan who had lost control of his vehicle. “He was revving the car, he was excited, he was a supporter, he was there for the joy of the moment,” Morris told ABC. “Somehow he lost control of the car … and he’s gone into the crowd,” he added.
Pressure on a packed weekend
The crash landed on a crowded weekend in the city, with Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison saying more than 1,000 people had gathered in the area where it happened. That detail matters because it shows how quickly a public celebration can turn into a mass-casualty emergency.
“Several people have been injured and are currently receiving treatment at the scene,” police said in an earlier statement, before the full toll became clear. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his thoughts were with those hurt or involved in the incident.
“My thoughts are with everyone injured or involved in the horrible incident this morning in Newcastle,” he wrote on social media. “Rugby league brings people together, and this should have been a weekend of excitement and pride for Newcastle fans.”
Police said their investigation was continuing, and charges were expected later on Saturday as officers continued to examine what led the vehicle into the crowd on Newcastle Link Road.
Source: abc.net.au
