Bar Beach: Woman charged after allegedly driving car off cliff, injuring woman and baby

A Wallsend woman allegedly responsible for ‘launching’ her car off a cliff at Bar Beach, injuring a mother and her baby, was arrested and charged on Friday. She was refused bail in a hospital bedside hearing.

A woman is loaded into an ambulance, injured after a car plunged off a cliff at Bar Beach, Newcastle. Picture Amy Ziniak

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A Wallsend woman has been charged after she allegedly “launched” her car off the side of a cliff at Bar Beach in Newcastle and struck a woman on the beach down below, and injured her infant son.

The 46-year-old driver – who was taken to John Hunter Hospital suffering multiple fractures – was arrested on Friday and charged with driving in a dangerous manner causing grievous bodily harm.

The scene at Bar Beach, Newcastle, where a car plunged of a car park lookout into the sea. Picture by Peter Lorimer.

The father and child are escorted from the beach The scene at Bar Beach, Newcastle, where a car plunged of a car park lookout into the sea. Picture by Peter Lorimer.

Emergency services rushed to Bar Beach just after 10am on Thursday morning after a Volkswagon Golf had driven at speed over a cliff in the carpark, hitting the guard rail and flipping, as the vehicle plunged 25 metres into the shallow water below.

A 40-year-old woman – who was at the beach with family – was struck by the car, while her 18-month-old child narrowly avoided being hit.

Witnesses watched in horror as it all unfolded, with passer-bys rushing to help all those involved.

The 40-year-old woman was also taken to John Hunter Hospital with serious leg and hip injuries, while the baby sustained minor injuries.

The driver was given a bedside hearing where she was refused bail.

She is due to reappear in Newcastle Local Court on October 1.