Ten injured after car crashes into rugby supporters in Australia

A car collided with a group of rugby league fans in Newcastle, an eastern Australian city, resulting in 10 injuries, including three children. New South Wales police reported that two of the wounded – a five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man – were critically injured, while the remaining eight were stable in a hospital. The driver, an 18-year-old man, has been arrested and is currently in police custody.

Police have stated that the crash was not related to terrorism. The crowd had convened to bid farewell to the Newcastle Knights rugby league team prior to their grand final match against the Sydney Roosters the following day. Newcastle's Lord Mayor, Gavin Morris, described the driver as a rugby league fan who had lost control of his vehicle while expressing excitement and enthusiasm for the occasion.

Mayor Morris told the ABC that "he was revving the car, he was excited, he was a supporter, he was there for the joy of the moment," before adding, "somehow he lost control of the car and he's gone into the crowd." Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his sympathy, stating, "My thoughts are with everyone injured or involved in the horrible incident this morning in Newcastle."

"Rugby league brings people together, and this should have been a weekend of excitement and pride for Newcastle fans," he wrote on social media.