Teen driver due in court docket accused of driving automotive into rugby league followers’ parade
Police have announced an 18-year-old, Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe, has been charged with dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm in connection with the incident on Saturday morning
The incident in Newcastle, New South Wales, on Saturday (October 3)
A teenage man has been charged after allegedly driving his car into a crowd of rugby league fans at a parade this weekend.
Thousands of supporters lined the streets of Newcastle, a city in New South Wales, Australia, to wave to the players and coaches of the city’s rugby league team. The Newcastle Knights were setting off to Sunday’s (October 4) NRL grand final, the biggest match in club rugby league.
However, joy turned to despair at 9:30am local time when a car allegedly was driven with supports on the roadside, injuring 10 people. Among the wounded were a five-year-old girl and 67-year-old man, who were both hurt critically.
All 10 were taken to hospital. The critically-injured pair are now in a ‘critical but stable’ condition, NSW Police said in a new update late on Saturday.
Officers have also confirmed they have charged Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe, 18, with three counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm; three counts of negligent driving; and three counts of causing bodily harm by misconduct, in charge of motor vehicle. He is set to appear in court on Sunday, reports ABC News .
Dom Young (right, carrying ball) has been one of the English stars to light up Australia’s NRL this season for the Newcastle Knights(Image: Hannah Peters, Getty Images)
The cops’ update also confirmed four other people, including another five-year-old girl, a two-year-old girl, a 31-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man, are still in hospital in a stable condition. Another four people, three men — aged 24, 25 and 27 — and a 63-year-old woman have been discharged.
The bus parade’s route had to be altered due to a ‘major incident’, the Newcastle Knights said. The bus had not reached the area of Newcastle Link Road where the incident took place.
Newcastle Knights will take on Sydney Roosters for the NRL premiership on Sunday evening at 7:30pm local time, 9:30am in the UK. This season, both sides have been spear-headed by star performances from English players, Dom Young for the Knights and Victor Radley for the Roosters.
