Several injured after car strikes Newcastle Knights supporters in Wallsend

Several people were injured after a car struck a crowd of Newcastle Knights supporters in Wallsend, New South Wales, during a pre-grand-final farewell for the team. Emergency services were called to Newcastle Link Road at about 9:30 a.m. NSW Police said the driver was arrested at the scene.

NSW Ambulance said several people were injured. Ten ambulances and three helicopters attended as paramedics and police treated people at the site and transported some to hospital. The crowd had gathered to see the Knights before the team’s grand final.

Supporters were moved to an oval as emergency services transported patients from the area. The Knights said the team bus had been diverted from its planned route because of the major incident. The club apologised to supporters who had been waiting and missed seeing the players, saying public safety was its priority.

NSW Premier Chris Minns described the incident as heartbreaking. He said fans had gathered to farewell the team and expressed sympathy to the families and friends of those involved or injured. Minns also thanked police, ambulance personnel and other emergency workers responding to the crash.

He said the grand final had brought Newcastle together and called for the community to remain united while the response continued. The supplied material did not identify the number or severity of injuries, nor did it provide details about the driver’s identity or any charges. Police and ambulance services remained at the scene as injured people received treatment.

The circumstances leading to the vehicle entering the crowd were not stated in the supplied reports. The incident disrupted the planned supporters’ event but did not cancel the broader grand-final preparations described in the material.