Nine people were injured, one seriously, when a car crashed into a crowd during a demolition match in southeastern Australia, police said.
New South Wales Police said in a statement that the car was racing in the village of Walcha on Saturday night when it went through a fence and hit a grandstand.
This race, part of the annual Walcha Motorcycle Rally, was a Demolition Derby. This was a type of motorsport where drivers bumped their cars into each other.
Police said the injured bystanders ranged in age from 20 to 75 years old, and the person seriously injured was a 54-year-old man. The investigation is ongoing, they said.
Police said they were told the driver of the vehicle, a 27-year-old man, had been involved in a collision on the tracks before crashing into a fence.
In a statement published on the Walcha Motorcycle Rally Facebook page, Walcha Council said it was “shocked and shocked by the unfortunate accident.”
The committee said it would work with authorities to investigate the cause of the accident.
He said it would be “inappropriate” to make any comments before the investigation was concluded.
Brendan Moylan, Member of Parliament for the Northern Tablelands, the region where Walcha is located, thanked emergency workers and other bystanders for their “quick and incredibly professional work at the scene”.
“My thoughts are with everyone affected,” he wrote on Facebook.
Former deputy prime minister and current New England member Barnaby Joyce wrote on Facebook that his thoughts, prayers and hopes are with those injured in the accident.
“It’s such a sad end to such a great event,” he wrote.
The Walcha Motorcycle Rally describes itself as “a grassroots event for motorcycle enthusiasts.”
