An 18-year-old provisional driver has been charged after a BMW struck a crowd of Newcastle Knights supporters in Wallsend, injuring ten people, including three children, as fans gathered to send the team toward the NRL grand final.
New South Wales police responded at about 9:30 a.m. to Newcastle Link Road, where roughly 1,000 supporters were lining the route. Police allege the car was being driven erratically before its driver lost control and entered the crowd. Assistant Commissioner David Waddell said investigators had found no indication that the collision was deliberate or that the crowd had been targeted.
A five-year-old girl was in a critical but stable condition with head injuries and broken bones, while her mother suffered a broken leg. A 67-year-old man was listed in serious but stable condition. Four other patients — another five-year-old girl, a two-year-old girl, a 31-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man — remained stable in John Hunter Hospital. Three men and a 63-year-old woman were discharged.
People in the crowd moved quickly to assist the injured, with some providing first aid and CPR. Police said bystanders also prevented the driver from leaving. He was arrested at the scene, taken to hospital for mandatory testing and later transferred to a police station. Two passengers, aged 18 and 19, were not injured.
The driver faces three counts each of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, and causing bodily harm through misconduct while in charge of a vehicle. His licence was suspended, bail was refused and he was due to appear in Newcastle Bail Court on Sunday. The charges are allegations and have not been proved in court.
The crash disrupted traffic on Newcastle Link Road while emergency crews worked at the scene and a medical helicopter landed. The road later reopened. What had begun as a celebratory gathering changed abruptly as supporters waited for the team bus ahead of Sunday’s grand final.
Political and sporting leaders expressed support for those affected. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese thanked police and emergency services and offered federal assistance to the New South Wales government. Premier Chris Minns called on the community to remain united, while the Knights and National Rugby League said their thoughts were with the injured, their families and witnesses.
The case now moves into court proceedings as investigators continue establishing the sequence of events. Authorities have stressed that the available evidence points to dangerous driving rather than an intentional attack.
