, Oct. 3 -- Ten people have been hospitalized after a car crashed into a crowd in the Australian city of Newcastle, 110 km north of Sydney, on Saturday morning.

The assistant commissioner of police in the Australian state of New South Wales, David Waddell, told reporters on Saturday afternoon that a car was driving erratically before the driver lost control and crashed into a crowd around 9:30 a.m. local time.

He said that the crowd had gathered along the side of the road as part of an official farewell event for local team the Newcastle Knights as they traveled to Sydney to play in the National Rugby League grand final on Sunday night.

Police said that 10 people were injured, including a five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man who we...