Ten people were injured, two of them critically, after a car crashed into a crowd of rugby league fans lining a street in Newcastle, Australia, on Saturday to farewell the Newcastle Knights ahead of the team’s grand final against the Sydney Roosters, police said.
The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. local time in the suburb of Wallsend as thousands of supporters gathered to send off the team bus. New South Wales Police said an 18-year-old driver, himself a rugby league fan, lost control of the vehicle and struck the crowd before being arrested at the scene. Newcastle Lord Mayor Gavin Morris said the driver had somehow lost control of the car before it went into the crowd.
Of the ten injured, a 5-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man were listed in critical condition, while the remaining eight, including two more children aged five and two, were in stable condition in hospital, according to police. Authorities said initial inquiries indicated the crash was not believed to be terror-related, and an investigation into the circumstances remains under way.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his thoughts were with everyone injured or involved in what he called a horrible incident, noting that rugby league is meant to bring people together and that the day should have been one of excitement and pride for Newcastle fans. The Knights were due to travel to Sydney later Saturday ahead of Sunday’s grand final against the Roosters.
