Ten people, including children, were injured when a car left the road and hit Newcastle Knights supporters waiting for the team bus in Wallsend. Police said a provisional driver lost control; a five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man were critical.
Ten people, including three children, were injured when a car hit Newcastle Knights supporters at Wallsend about 9:30 a.m. Saturday, the Newcastle Herald reported, citing police. The crowd of about 1,000 had gathered on Newcastle Link Road at the Transfield Avenue roundabout to see the team bus leave for the NRL grand final in Sydney.
Assistant Police Commissioner Dave Waddell said a provisional-licence driver traveling erratically toward the roundabout lost control and crashed into the crowd. Police considered the incident unintentional. The driver was arrested at the scene, earlier reports said.
A five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man were in critical condition. Another five-year-old girl, a two-year-old girl, four men aged 48, 24, 25 and 57, and two women aged 31 and 63 were taken to John Hunter Hospital. Two people had critical injuries and eight were understood to be stable on Saturday afternoon.
Footage published by the Herald showed a car driving erratically through a roundabout shortly before the crash. The Knights were traveling to Sydney for the grand final.
Police had not published a full reconstruction. Hospitals were still treating the injured on Saturday afternoon.