ABC News (AU)
· collected 2026-10-05 · by Giselle Wakatama; Keely Johnson; Ben Clifford
Story summary
On Saturday morning around 9:30 AM, a car crashed into a crowd of fans gathered to farewell the Newcastle Knights rugby team in Wallsend, near Newcastle. The incident occurred on Newcastle Link Road as hundreds of supporters had congregated to see off the team bus heading for Sydney's NRL Grand Final against the Roosters.
Emergency services, including 10 ambulances and 3 helicopters, were dispatched to the scene. Police arrested the driver at the location. At least nine people were injured, some critically, and transported to John Hunter Hospital. The road was closed in both directions due to the accident, causing delays for commuters heading towards Sydney.
NSW Premier Chris Minns expressed his concern over the incident and thanked emergency services for their prompt response. He urged fans traveling to Sydney for the grand final to exercise caution on the roads. Newcastle Mayor Gavin Morris also addressed the community via televised remarks, confirming multiple injuries and expressing hope for a full recovery of those affected.
Written for “Car Crash Injures Fans Newcastle” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 34 other(s) covering the same event.
In short:
Trauma experts have warned people who witnessed the Newcastle Knights crowd crash need support.
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who → warn → support
Thousands of Knights fans were lining Newcastle Link Road when a car struck 10 pedestrians.
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car → line → pedestrians
The alleged driver is facing nine charges.
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driver → allege → charges
Trauma experts have called for a state-led mental health response, including counselling, for witnesses to a car crash into Newcastle Knights fans.
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experts → call → fans
Ten people were injured when a car crashed into a crowd of supporters about 9:30am on Saturday at a roundabout on Newcastle Link Road, in Newcastle's west.
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car → injure → west
They were there to farewell the grand-final bound Newcastle Knights NRL team.
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They → farewell → team
The mood in Newcastle turned from jubilation to devastation.
Port Stephens councillor Giacomo Arnott was in the crowd, and saw the horror unfold.
"It's been on my mind constantly since it happened; it's sort of like a bit of collective trauma that I think everybody's feeling at the moment,"he said
"I took a video on my phone as I arrived … 4 minutes before the accident happened.
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accident → turn → phone
"It's just really sobering watching that video back and seeing how excited everybody was and then knowing that 10 to 15 minutes later, the hush that fell on the crowd."
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that → watch → crowd
Investigating police said they would rely on the crowd's footage as they pieced together what happened.
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what → investigate → footage
Witnesses have told the ABC they heard revving, before the vehicle careered sideways into the crowd.
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vehicle → tell → crowd
Chair of the NSW chapter of the Australasian College of Road Safety Michael Timms said given the size of the crowd gathered, the impacts of vicarious trauma on the fans would be widespread.
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impacts → say → fans
"In a moment's notice, they have gone from spectators to many of them having jumped in and become first responders,"he said.
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many → go → them
"There is a need for organised counselling services and avenues where people can just talk about the way they're feeling and just get yourselves back on track."
Fans have described running to help the injured, with people having to lift the vehicle to free some of the injured.
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people → be → injured
Assistant Police Commissioner Dave Waddell said fans performed CPR on two people who were critically injured.
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who → say → people
One of the injured left in a critical but stable condition is a five-year-old child, among the many children in the crowd.
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One → injure → crowd
Trauma response
Existing helplines for support include the Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511, with headspace Newcastle and the Newcastle Safe Haven available for those in the area.
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helplines → exist → area
Louise Newman, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Melbourne and a former academic at the University of Newcastle, said given the number of people affected by the incident, authorities needed to take a "multifaceted approach" to provide support.
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authorities → say → support
"It's very important to look at how public authorities and health agencies can best respond,"Professor Newman said.
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Newman → look → ?
"In the first instance, it really is a matter of identifying people who might be at most risk of any ongoing symptoms and providing an appropriate level of support, as has been called for by the majority of people."
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who → identify → people
Professor Newman said child witnesses were vulnerable.
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witnesses → say → ?
"Children often need quite a lot of reassurance and they need to talk things through with teacher and counsellor support in their school environment, ideally," she said.
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she → need → environment
Sonia Hornery, the state member for Wallsend, where the crash happened, said the community was hurting.
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community → happen → Wallsend
She said people needed to be directed to support services they might not know they needed.
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they → say → services
"I would certainly support any kind of trauma response from the government and I do believe it is important that we get on the front foot," Ms Hornery said.
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Hornery → support → foot
She added that the community "needs to know it is normal to feel angry and despair at what happened".
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what → add → ?
"I'm happy to support any kind of government moves to offer assistance for people because it was horrific and people in Wallsend aren't used to these kinds of situations,"Ms Hornery said.
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Hornery → support → kinds
Police Minister Yasmin Catley said the crash was "shocking and has left a lasting impact on our community".
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crash → say → community
She said the rippling trauma was understandable.
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trauma → say → ?
"It's important to understand that these events can leave lasting trauma and people feeling anxious, distressed and angry.
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people → understand → trauma
"Whether you were there, know someone who was, or have been affected by the news, free help is available,"Ms Catley said.
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Catley → know → news
"I encourage anyone impacted to seek support."
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I → encourage → support
Professor Newman said in addition to directing people to existing helplines, a specialised hotline should be considered.
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hotline → say → helplines
The alleged driver Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe, 18, is facing nine charges.
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driver → allege → charges
He was refused bail on Sunday and is due back in court on October 15.
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He → refuse → October
The Aporia
