Ten individuals sustained injuries when a man drove into a crowd in Newcastle, Australia, on Saturday after seemingly losing control of the vehicle, as confirmed by authorities. The 18-year-old driver was apprehended at the scene in Wallsend, a suburb located approximately 110 kilometers north of Sydney, the capital of New South Wales.
The incident took place as fans gathered along local streets to bid farewell to the Newcastle Knights rugby league team, who were en route to compete in the National Rugby League grand final in Sydney the following day. Among the injured, a five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man were in critical condition, according to authorities.
Newcastle Mayor Gavin Morris mentioned that the driver appeared to have lost control of the car, indicating that he was revving the vehicle in some manner. Police stated that initial assessments pointed towards the incident not being linked to terrorism.