Crowds had gathered along Newcastle Link Road to see the Knights off to Sydney for the NRL grand final when the crash occurred about 9:30am on Saturday. Police allege Samarasinghe lost control while travelling around a roundabout. Witness Chris Clancy said the road was wet and the driver lost control, adding that he thought he was not going to survive.
Victims range in age from two to 67. A five-year-old girl initially critically injured is now in a serious but stable condition, while another five-year-old girl was also critically injured. Four victims have been discharged from hospital, with most others still recovering.
Samarasinghe, a P-plater, had his licence suspended in February and lost it again after the crash. Footage from before the incident appears to show a driver with one hand out of the window while travelling through a roundabout. He faces three counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, three counts of negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, and three counts of causing bodily harm by misconduct.
The magistrate endorsed a health review for the driver before his next court date on October 15, citing his age and the seriousness of the charges. Police allege he was driving erratically at the time.