source : the age
Nine people are in hospital, two in critical condition, after a driver crashed into a crowd of Newcastle Knights fans, shocking locals who were lining the roads for kilometres to send off the home team ahead of tomorrow’s grand final against the Sydney Roosters.
NSW Ambulance said of the nine injured, one was in critical condition, one was critical but stable, and the remaining injured were in a stable condition.
Police do not believe the incident was targeted, and are investigating if the driver lost control of his vehicle in the moments before the collision.
The driver of the vehicle was arrested by NSW Police.
Newcastle Mayor Gavin Morris said children were among those injured, though NSW Ambulance would not confirm the ages of those injured.
“It’s just been a magical week of positivity and support, and we’ve all come together,” he said.
“So it was an absolute shock to hear the news this morning, and yeah, the information has been coming through, you know, over the last 30, 40 minutes now, so it’s really upsetting,” Morris told ABC television just a short time ago.
Earlier reports suggested children had been among those injured, but the NSW Ambulance media spokesperson wouldn’t comment other than to say injured were of varying ages.
NSW Police said a large emergency services response was underway, and said the driver was arrested at the scene.
Emergency services were called to Newcastle Link Road at the Transfield Drive roundabout in Wallsend at about 9.30am following reports a vehicle had struck multiple people as the crowd gathered to support the Knights ahead of the grand final with the Roosters on Sunday.
Police said several people had been injured and were receiving treatment at the scene. Others have been transported to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.
The incident has impacted the planned route of the Newcastle Knights grand final procession, which has been diverted to an alternate route.
Sonia Hornery, NSW MP for Wallsend, posted that she’d just become aware of an incident involving a vehicle colliding with pedestrians while Knights fans were there to cheer on the team coach.
“Emergency services are on site. Newcastle Link Road is closed in both directions. Please avoid the area. I hope everyone involved is ok,” she said.
Newcastle Knights said because of the incident, the team bus heading to Sydney for the grand final had been diverted.
“We apologise to anyone who was waiting and missed the boys, but public safety is our priority,” the announcement said.
This masthead’s chief sports reporter Tom Decent, who was interviewing fans when the incident happened, said word started coming through that many people had been hit by a car and were severely injured.
“There are thousands and thousands of Knights fans on the street waiting to watch their heroes come through on the team but, but that’s now not happening,” Decent said.
“That excitement has turned to confusion and concern for their fellow fans. It’s chaos here at the moment. People have realised something very serious has happened.”
The Premier Chris Minns said it was heartbreaking to see fans who were sending off their grand final team involved in such a terrible incident.
“My thoughts are with the families and friends of loved ones who have been involved or injured in the crash. I also want to thank emergency services including police and ambulance who are responding to this tragedy”, the premier said.
“We’ve seen how this grand final has brought the Newcastle together, and I hope the whole community remains united as we continue to respond.”
Locals reported on social media that they were stuck in traffic on the Link Road, reporting multiple helicopters overhead, and more than 30 emergency responders.
Newcastle Link Road is closed in both directions and is expected to remain closed for some time while inquiries continue.
The team bus had now departed Newcastle.
Police said they acknowledged many loyal supporters may have missed the opportunity to see the team and show their support.
Members of the public were asked to leave the area and keep roadways clear to assist emergency services and traffic management efforts.
Officers attached to Newcastle City Police District are on scene, assisted by Traffic and Highway Patrol Command officers and NSW Ambulance paramedics.
Newcastle residents said helicopters were whirring overhead, and the incident had blocked the Newcastle Link Road, the major route to Sydney.
Be the first to know when major news happens. Sign up for breaking news alerts on email or turn on notifications in the app.
Julie Power is a senior reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.
Tom Decent is the chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.
