Australian police said nine people were injured, one seriously, after a car crashed into a crowd of people during a derby race in southeastern Australia.
New South Wales Police said in a statement that the car was participating in a race in the town of Walcha on Saturday evening when it passed through a fence and crashed into the tarmac.
The race, part of the annual Walcha Motorcycle Rally, was a demolition derby – a type of motorsport in which drivers crash their vehicles into each other.
The police said that the ages of the injured bystanders ranged between 20 and 75 years, while the seriously injured man was a 54-year-old man. They added that the investigation is ongoing.
Police said they were informed that the 27-year-old driver of the car was involved in a collision on the track directly before it crashed into the fence.
In a statement posted on the Walcha Motorcycle Rally Facebook page, Walcha Council said it was “shocked and appalled by the unfortunate incident”.
The council said it would work with authorities to “examine the circumstances that led to the incident.”
She added that making any comments before the investigations are completed would be “inappropriate.”
Brendan Moylan, MP for the Northern Tablelands, the area in which Walcha is located, thanked emergency responders and other bystanders for their “incredibly quick and professional work at the scene”.
“My thoughts are with everyone affected,” he wrote on Facebook.
Barnaby Joyce, former deputy prime minister and current MP for New England, wrote on Facebook that his “thoughts, prayers and hopes” were with those injured in the accident.
“Such a sad end to such a great event,” he wrote.
The Walcha Motorcycle Rally describes itself as a “popular event for motorcycle enthusiasts”.
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/bcbf/live/150ec0e0-c286-11f0-ae46-bd64331f0fd4.jpg
2025-11-16 00:53:00
