Nine injured after Walcha demolition derby car rams into crowd

Nine people were injured, one seriously, when a car crashed into a crowd during a demolition derby in southeast Australia, police said.

In a statement made by New South Wales police, it was stated that the car went over the fence and crashed into the grandstand during a race in the town of Walcha on Saturday night.

The race, part of the annual Walcha Motorcycle Rally, was a demolition derby, a type of motorsport in which riders crash their vehicles into each other.

Police said that the ages of the injured people around ranged from 20 to 75, and the seriously injured person was a 54-year-old man. They said the investigation was ongoing.

Police said they were told the 27-year-old driver of the car was involved in a collision on the track just before crashing into the fence.

In a statement posted on the Walcha Motorcycle Rally Facebook page, Walcha Council said it was “shocked and stunned by the unfortunate accident”.

The council said it would work with authorities to “examine the circumstances leading to the accident”.

It was stated that it would be “inappropriate” to make any comment before concluding the investigations.

Brendan Moylan, member of parliament for the Northern Tablelands, Walcha’s home district, thanked emergency responders and others bystanders for their “prompt and incredibly professional work at the scene”.

“My thoughts are with everyone affected,” he wrote on Facebook.

Former deputy prime minister and sitting New England MP Barnaby Joyce wrote on Facebook that his “thoughts, prayers and hopes” were with those injured in the crash.

“What a sad end to such a great event,” he wrote.

The Walcha Motorcycle Rally describes itself as a “grassroots event for motorcycle enthusiasts”.