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 didn’t apply for release during a brief court appearance on Sunday. The judge endorsed a warrant for a health assessment.
The injured supporters
Six people remained at John Hunter hospital, Hunter New England Local Health District chief executive Tracey McCosker said. Two were in a serious condition and four were stable. Among them was a five-year-old girl, whom doctors had placed in an induced coma with critical injuries. Her condition had stabilised.
Chris Clancy was among those injured. He had joined thousands of Newcastle Knights fans lining the streets to farewell the team as players travelled to Sydney for the grand final. The supporters stood near the roundabout when the car came through.
“We’re there at the roundabout having fun – cars going past, beeping their horns, people waving,” Clancy said. “The next thing, this car stops [at] the roundabout and then he just floored it on the wet ground, lost it.”
Clancy said the crash unfolded in seconds. “It happened in seconds, but when you stand there, seeing the car coming at you, I honestly thought I was going to die. It just felt like slow motion.” He suffered small fractures in his ribs and spine, a broken collarbone and small fractures in his foot.
Dave Martin, a Wallsend grandfather, was struck while trying to protect his two young granddaughters. He suffered multiple fractures in both legs and underwent lengthy surgery. Wallsend residents knew Martin for his love of the Knights, and he often decorated his barber shop on Nelson Street with team paraphernalia.
Fundraisers were set up for victims, including the five-year-old girl and Martin. The article reports the fundraisers but gives no amount raised or further details about their organization.
The charges and court
Samarasinghe went to hospital for mandatory testing, and police charged him with nine offences. The charges include dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, negligent driving and causing bodily harm by misconduct.
The court was told the most serious charge carries a maximum jail term of seven years. Samarasinghe is due to appear at Newcastle local court on 15 October. The hearing account says he didn’t apply for release; it reports no bail application or court argument over one.
Investigators didn’t believe the crash was deliberate. They declined to comment on reports that the vehicle had been driven erratically before it happened. The report gives no further details about the investigation or the mandatory testing.
Community response
Peter Parr, the Knights’ chief executive, expressed concern for those affected. “Newcastle is a strong community,” he said. “We have 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.”
Thousands of supporters had gathered to farewell the team before the crash. Clancy and Martin suffered fractures, and the five-year-old girl sustained critical injuries. Six injured people remained in hospital, while fundraisers were set up for victims.