P-plater denied bail after car ploughs into crowd of Newcastle Knights fans
An 18-year-old provisional driver has been refused bail after his car crashed into a crowd of football fans in Newcastle, Australia, injuring ten people including a five-year-old girl placed in an induced coma.
A car crashed into a crowd of Newcastle Knights supporters near a major roundabout in Newcastle, Australia, on Saturday morning, injuring ten people who had gathered to send off their team ahead of the grand final in Sydney.
The driver, 18-year-old provisional (P-plate) licence holder Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe, appeared briefly in court on Sunday and did not apply for release. He was formally refused bail, and the judge also ordered a warrant for a health assessment. He faces nine charges, including dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm — which carries a maximum seven-year prison term — and negligent driving. He is next due in Newcastle local court on 15 October.
Six people remain in John Hunter Hospital, according to Hunter New England Local Health District chief executive Tracey McCosker, with two in serious and four in stable condition. Among the injured is a five-year-old girl who was placed in an induced coma with critical injuries; her condition has since stabilised.
Chris Clancy, who was among the crowd lining the streets to cheer on the team, described the car stopping at the roundabout before suddenly accelerating on the wet road and losing control, ploughing into the crowd within seconds. He suffered small fractures to his ribs, spine and foot, along with a broken collarbone.
Investigators said they do not believe the crash was deliberate, though they declined to comment on reports that the vehicle had been driven erratically beforehand. Several fundraisers have since been set up for those affected, including one for the injured five-year-old and another for Wallsend grandfather Dave Martin, who suffered multiple leg fractures and underwent lengthy surgery after being struck while shielding his two young granddaughters. Martin was well known locally for decorating his Wallsend barber shop with Knights memorabilia.
Newcastle Knights chief executive Peter Parr said the community had shown great strength through the week and called for continued compassion and support for those affected.
