A five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man are in critical condition after a car crashed into a crowd of rugby fans in Sydney, Australia, on October 3, 2026. At least 10 people were injured, including several children, when the vehicle ploughed into a gathering of supporters for the Newcastle Knights NRL team, who were training in New South Wales ahead of their final against the Sydney Roosters.
Victims and injuries
New South Wales Police confirmed that the girl suffered a cardiac arrest and is in an induced coma after sustaining head injuries and broken bones. Her mother also broke her leg. The other eight wounded are stable, including two girls aged two and five.
The incident occurred at 9:30am. The driver, an 18-year-old male, was arrested and later identified as Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe. Documents obtained by ABC confirm he has been charged with three instances of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, three instances of negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, and three instances of causing bodily harm by misconduct.
Club and police response
Newcastle Knights CEO Peter Parr expressed concern on the team’s website, saying: ‘Our thoughts and prayers are first and foremost with everyone who has been injured, their families and loved ones, and everyone who witnessed what occurred this morning.’ He added: ‘What was meant to be a special morning for our community, thousands of Novocastrians coming together to farewell our team and show their support ahead of the Grand Final, has understandably turned into a distressing morning.’
Parr praised the ‘extraordinary’ actions of first responders, hailing the ‘speed and professionalism of NSW Police, NSW Ambulance and all emergency services at the scene’. He also thanked the doctors, nurses and team at John Hunter Hospital caring for the injured, and personally acknowledged NSW Police Commissioner Malcolm Lanyon for his leadership and support. He called Newcastle a ‘strong community’, encouraging people to draw on their ‘strength’ and ‘compassion’ to support ‘those who need it most’.
Arrest and investigation
Assistant Commissioner David Waddell of New South Wales Police told reporters that, as well as the arrested man, there were two other passengers in the car. He said officers ‘had to get the three of them out of there because the crowd did turn on them’. The driver was taken for ‘mandatory drug and alcohol testing’ ahead of being charged.
Waddell said the crash is not believed to be terrorism-related, and there are ‘no concerns other than this being a tragic incident where a young person has done the wrong thing and driven irresponsibly, driven erratically, and obviously lost control of the vehicle into the crowd’. He added: ‘But there’s no, no suggestion at all that it’s targeted or any ill motive.’
