Patrons leaving a South Australian pub at closing time last weekend became caught up in a shocking incident as a car allegedly ploughed into a group of people.
Just after 1:30am Saturday morning, a blue Ford sedan was recorded reversing at speed (below) into a group of people outside the Royal Family Hotel in Port Elliot.
Five people were injured in the incident and a witness described how he felt the impact shake the hotel.
SA Police’s Inspector Gene Vaninetti said that around fifteen patrons were leaving just as the car reversed into a group outside the front of the hotel. The car pinned some against the wall, resulting in several injuries.
While most injuries were minor, Royal Family Hotel worker Jonathon Hogg was critically injured.
Hogg had been attempting to defuse the situation before finding himself in the path of the vehicle.
The 22-year-old, a keen bowler since the age of 16 and the youngest member of the Port Elliot Bowling Club, was airlifted to hospital in Adelaide, where he was placed in an induced coma and received emergency surgery to his head and legs.
One member of the club described Hogg as “the nicest person”, saying he took friendly ribbing from other players well.
“It’s just so unfortunate for him … Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, we’re all thinking about him,” the club member told Adelaide Now.
While police are uncertain about what led to the confrontation, footage from earlier in the night showed the Ford dragging up and down the street.
Fed up patrons were recorded rushing the car, kicking and hitting the Ford and smashing the front and rear windscreens before the car drove off.
The driver then stopped, and reversed at speed into the group, colliding with the building before speeding away. He is understood to have left the car in nearby Sturt Street before returning to the scene of the incident, where he was arrested.
37-year-old New South Welshman Eric Cooper is currently being held on remand until February where he will face the Adelaide Magistrates Court with charges of aggravated cause harm by dangerous driving, aggravated cause serious harm by dangerous driving, aggravated due care, and leaving the scene of an accident.
Cooper has not made an application for bail.
20-year-old victim Gidget Whibley said that she was grateful the incident wasn’t any worse.
“We were all pretty traumatised. We were just baffled that we were all alive,” Whibley told the Sunday Mail.
The Royal Family Hotel has not made a public statement about the incident.
Police say that while they are still determining the cause of the altercation, the incident was completely unacceptable.
They request that any witnesses or victims who have not yet spoken with police, or anyone with footage of the incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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