Ten people injured as elderly driver hits crowd at Australian show

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Ten people have been injured at the Royal Bathurst Show after they were allegedly hit by a vehicle driven by a 82-year-old woman. The Bathurst Show is the largest agricultural show in regional New South Wales, Australia.

According to police, the incident happened at 5:10 p.m. Saturday (0710 UTC) when a Mazda sedan driven by an 82 year-old woman reversed into a large crowd which had been standing about the showground ring. Saturday is typically the busiest day of the show, with many events taking place in the ring.

Police and St. John Ambulance personnel who were already present at the show arrived almost immediately and began providing assistance. After assessing the incident, additional police, rescue, ambulance and fire personnel were deployed.

Those injured range in age from five to 71 years. The most severe of the injuries were sustained by a 71 year-old man who suffered head injuries and a five year old boy from a neighbouring city who suffered both head and severe leg injuries. Both have been airlifted to Westmead Hospital in Sydney and are described as being in a critical condition.

Other injured people were taken to both Bathurst and Orange Base Hospitals.

The driver of the vehicle was taken to hospital suffering from shock.

Police are investigating the incident, have seized the involved car, and questioned witnesses.

Many local citizens have been warning about pedestrian safety for show patrons for a number of years. Their concerns were not about the showground itself, but the fact that patrons have to cross a highway carrying 27,000 vehicles per day unassisted to get from the main parking area to the showground. Following Saturday's incident, the local council has hired crossing guards to help those crossing the highway.