Car drives into rugby fans in Newcastle: ten injured
A driver has been arrested after a car drove into a crowd of supporters in Newcastle.
Ten people were injured in the Australian city of Newcastle on Saturday when a car drove into a crowd of rugby fans. The driver has been arrested; according to police, there are no indications that it was terrorism.
Emergency services were called at around 9.30am local time to Newcastle Link Road at the roundabout with Transfield Drive in the Wallsend district. Supporters had gathered there to wave off the Newcastle Knights team bus before the National Rugby League final, which will be played in Sydney on Sunday.
According to New South Wales Police, the vehicle hit several people in the crowd. The driver was arrested at the scene. The road was closed in both directions while police and emergency services investigated and treated the injured.
Police did not give a number of victims in an initial statement. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that ten ambulances and three trauma helicopters had been sent to the scene. Associated Press later reported, based on police information, that ten people had been injured.
Several children were among the injured. According to the same information, a five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man were in critical condition. The other eight injured people were reportedly in a stable condition in hospital. The circumstances in which the car struck the crowd are still being investigated.
The Newcastle Knights subsequently changed the route of the team bus. The bus eventually left Newcastle via an alternative route. Police asked supporters to leave the area and keep the roads clear for emergency services and traffic controllers.
Police said that the initial indications did not point to a terrorist motive. This is a provisional assessment during the investigation; no further information is yet available about the precise circumstances or any charges against the driver.
The incident overshadowed a celebratory morning for the club. The chair of the Australian rugby league organisation said that the governing body was working with police to understand the circumstances and expressed support for the injured and the community around the Knights.
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The key facts were confirmed by police, the Australian public broadcaster and Associated Press. The text makes clear which details are still provisional and attributes the medical information to police via AP.
- confirmed A car drove into a crowd near Newcastle Link Road in Wallsend on 3 October 2026. — NSW Police names the location and date; ABC confirms the report and location. source
- confirmed The driver was arrested at the scene. — This is stated in the NSW Police statement and the AP update. source
- confirmed Ten people were injured. — Associated Press reports this based on information from New South Wales Police; the initial police report referred only to several injured people. source
- confirmed Several children were among the injured. — AP mentions several children; ABC confirms that the crowd included supporters but gives no victims’ identities. source
- confirmed A five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man were in critical condition. — AP attributes this medical status to New South Wales Police. source
- confirmed Ten ambulances and three trauma helicopters were deployed. — ABC reports this emergency response. source
- confirmed The Newcastle Knights switched to an alternative route. — NSW Police reports that the planned route was diverted and that the team bus departed. source
- confirmed The initial indications did not point to terrorism. — AP attributes this to police; the wording in the article remains provisional. source
Editor's note
The collision, the arrest, the location and the emergency response were confirmed by NSW Police and ABC. The number of ten injured and the condition of two victims came from a later AP update based on police information. The precise circumstances and any charges were not yet known at the time of publication.Sources
- Multiple people injured after being struck by vehicle, driver arrested - Newcastle — NSW Police
- Emergency services on scene after car hits crowd during Knights pre-grand final farewell — ABC News Australia
- Car drives into large crowd of Australian rugby fans, injuring 10 people north of Sydney — Associated Press
- Statement from ARLC Executive Chairman Peter V'landys AM — National Rugby League
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „australië newcastle”
- De Telegraaf — „australië newcastle”
- AD — „australië newcastle”