10 injured after car crashes into rugby supporters in Australia

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkA fire truck drives towards a crash site as a police vehicle blocks a road in Wallsend, News South Wales, on October 3, 2026, after a car drove into a crowd [Kai Preston/Reuters]By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and APPublished On 3 Oct 20263 Oct 2026A car has crashed into a crowd of rugby league supporters in the eastern Australian city of Newcastle, injuring 10 people, including three children.New South Wales police said on Saturday that two of the injured – a five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man – were in a critical condition and the other eight were in stable condition in hospital.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Australia summons OpenAI and Anthropic CEOs to appear at AI inquirylist 2 of 3Australia raises interest rates to 15-year highlist 3 of 3US and Australia suspend diplomatic operations in Brazil before electionend of listPolice said they had arrested the 18-year-old man driving the vehicle and were investigating what happened. They said the crash was not believed to be related to terrorism.The crowd had gathered to farewell the local rugby league side, the Newcastle Knights, ahead of their grand final against the Sydney Roosters on Sunday.Newcastle Lord Mayor Gavin Morris said the driver, a rugby league fan, had lost control of his vehicle and had been taken into custody.“He was revving the car, he was excited, he was a supporter, he was there for the joy of the moment,” Morris told the national broadcaster ABC.“Somehow he lost control of the car … and he’s gone into the crowd,” he added.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “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 in a social media post.