Ten injured in Australia as car crashes into crowd north of Sydney

SYDNEY, Oct 3 — Ten people were injured when ​a man drove into a crowd in the Australian city of ‌Newcastle on Saturday after appearing to lose control of ⁠the car, ​authorities said.

The 18-year-old driver ⁠was arrested at the scene ‌in the suburb ‌of Wallsend about 110 km (70 miles) ⁠north of the ⁠New South Wales state capital, Sydney.

When the incident occurred, fans had lined local streets to send off the Newcastle Knights rugby league team, due ‌to compete in the ​country's National Rugby League grand final in Sydney on Sunday.

Two of those hospitalised, a 5-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man, were in a critical condition, authorities said.

Newcastle Mayor Gavin Morris ​said the driver seemed to have ‌lost control ‌of ⁠the car. "It appears that he was revving the car in some form," Morris said in televised remarks.

Police said initial ‌indications suggested the ​incident was not terrorism-related.

(Reporting ‌by Sam ⁠McKeith ​in Sydney; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and William ​Mallard)

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