How Did a Car Crash Into a Crowd of Newcastle Knights Fans, Injuring 10?

An 18-year-old P-plater has been served with eight additional charges after a car allegedly crashed into a crowd of Newcastle Knights fans at Wallsend, hospitalising 10 people. The new charges bring the total number of offences he is accused of to 17.

What happened at Wallsend

• Where: Wallsend, near Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
• What: A car police allege was being driven erratically crashed into spectators at about 9:30am.
• Who was hurt: Ten people were hospitalised, including a five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man who were in a critical condition at the time.
• The crowd: Thousands of fans had lined the streets to wave the Newcastle Knights off to their first NRL grand final.

Witnesses described people yelling and screaming in videos taken at the scene. Police arrested the driver shortly after the incident. Two other people were removed from the car, and the team bus was diverted from its planned route for public safety reasons.

What the new charges mean

The new charges include dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, according to the ABC. They bring the total number of charges against the 18-year-old to 17.

The accused, Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe, was granted bail after a successful bail review application. He had spent six nights in custody. He was released from Silverwater prison and is required to report to police daily between 8am and 6pm, and is banned from entering Newcastle. He is due to face Newcastle Local Court on Thursday.

Frequently asked questions

What happened at Wallsend?

A car police allege was being driven erratically crashed into a crowd of Newcastle Knights fans at Wallsend at about 9:30am, hospitalising 10 people.

How many people were injured?

Ten people were hospitalised, including a five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man who were in a critical condition at the time.

How many charges is the driver facing?

The 18-year-old is now accused of 17 offences, after eight additional charges were served.

What is the bail situation?

The accused was granted bail after a review application. He must report to police daily between 8am and 6pm, is banned from entering Newcastle, and is due to face Newcastle Local Court on Thursday.