In brief
During a demolition derby at the annual Walcha Motorcycle Rally in New South Wales, a car veered off track and crashed into a crowd of spectators, injuring thirteen individuals. The local MP reported that nine were hospitalized, with all in recovery. An investigation is ongoing to determine the events leading to the crash.
Thirteen people were injured, two critically, after a car crashed into a crowd during a demolition derby in southeastern Australia, police said.
The car had been taking part in a race in the town of Walcha on Saturday night when it drove through a fence and hit the grandstand, New South Wales police said in a statement.
The race, part of the annual Walcha Motorcycle Rally, had been a demolition derby - a type of motorsport where drivers ram their vehicles into one another.
Brendan Moylan, a member of parliament for Northern Tablelands, the region where Walcha is located, said on social media on Sunday that nine people remained in hospital and all are now recovering.
Earlier, police put the number of injured at nine. They said the ages of the injured bystanders ranged from 20 to 75, while a critically injured 54-year-old man was among the casualties. An investigation is ongoing.
Police reported that the 27-year-old driver had been involved in a previous collision on the track right before driving into the fence.
In a statement published on the Walcha Motorcycle Rally's Facebook page, the Walcha Council expressed it was shocked and stunned by the accident and committed to cooperating with authorities for an investigation.
MP Moylan thanked emergency responders and bystanders for their swift assistance and shared his thoughts with everyone affected. Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce also expressed his condolences through social media, calling the incident a sad end to such a great event.
The Walcha Motorcycle Rally is known as a grassroots event for motorcycle enthusiasts.
