Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe, an 18-year-old P-plater, was refused bail after a car allegedly driven by him struck a crowd of Newcastle Knights supporters near a major roundabout on Saturday morning, injuring ten people. Samarasinghe appeared briefly in court on Sunday and didn’t apply for release. The judge endorsed a warrant for a health assessment.
The crowd had gathered to farewell the Knights as the players travelled to Sydney for the grand final. Thousands of supporters lined the streets. Near the roundabout, people watched cars pass and waved, injured supporter Chris Clancy said.
The injured supporters
Six people remained at John Hunter hospital, according to Tracey McCosker, chief executive of Hunter New England Local Health District. Two were in a serious condition and four were stable. A five-year-old girl remained among those receiving care; doctors had placed her in an induced coma with critical injuries. Her condition had stabilised.
Clancy suffered small fractures in his ribs and spine, a broken collarbone and small fractures in his foot. He said the car stopped at the roundabout, then accelerated on wet ground and lost control. “It happened in seconds, but when you stand there, seeing the car coming at you, I honestly thought I was going to die,” he said. “It just felt like slow motion.”
Wallsend grandfather Dave Martin also suffered injuries. The car struck him as he tried to protect his two young granddaughters. He suffered multiple fractures in both legs and underwent lengthy surgery. Martin was known in Wallsend for his support of the Knights and often decorated his barber shop on Nelson Street with team paraphernalia.
Charges and court proceedings
Authorities took Samarasinghe to hospital for mandatory testing and charged him with nine offences. They include dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, negligent driving and causing bodily harm by misconduct. The court heard the most serious charge carries a maximum jail term of seven years.
He is due to appear at Newcastle local court on 15 October. Investigators didn’t believe the crash was deliberate, but declined to comment on reports that the vehicle had been driven erratically before it happened. The source account does not report a finding of guilt; the charges remain allegations.
Community response
People set up fundraisers for those injured in the crash, including the five-year-old girl and Martin. They followed an incident that injured ten supporters gathered to see the team off.
Peter Parr, the Knights’ chief executive, expressed concern for those affected and called on the community to support them. “Newcastle is a strong community,” he said. “We’ve seen that strength throughout this week, and today we need to draw on it again with compassion, care and support for those who need it most.”