Woman arrested after pedestrian and cars allegedly rammed in Newcastle road rage incident

A dispute in a KFC carpark has sparked the terrifying road rage incident in which a ute rammed several cars and allegedly hit a pedestrian.

The terrifying road incident that allegedly ended in a pedestrian and several cars being rammed in Newcastle’s CBD started with a dispute in a KFC carpark.

Terrifying footage has emerged of the end of the road rage incident, which shows the moment a white ute allegedly hits a pedestrian and rams several cars in Hunter Street, Newcastle.

The video, shared on Facebook by tradies working nearby, initially shows the ute driving at a pedestrian and ramming into the side of a yellow Holden Barina.

But police said the ute allegedly chased the Barina from KFC dangerously through the streets of Newcastle, and the pedestrian that was struck was the driver of the Holden.

Police said the 55-year-old man sustained minor injuries to his arm during the alleged road rage incident and was taken to John Hunter Hospital for treatment. No one else was injured.

Detective Superintendent Wayne Humphrey labelled the driving behaviour “horrendous” and “atrocious”.

He said the 29-year-old Newcastle woman, who was allegedly driving the white ute, and the man were known to each other but were not in a relationship.

Tradies tried to make a citizen’s arrest on the driver. Picture: Facebook/Luke Kennedy

The ute rammed multiple vehicles. Picture: Facebook/Luke Kennedy

He said they got into an argument in a KFC carpark nearby before the woman allegedly rammed the Barina multiple times along Honeysuckle Drive and King Street as she pursued the man.

The man then attempted to do a U-turn in Hunter Street and was “T-boned”.

He then got out of his car and tried to remove the keys from the ute but the woman wound her window up and allegedly drove at the man, pinning him between the ute and the Barina.

An approaching ambulance sounded its siren but that failed to stop the ute driver who sped off down Hunter Street.

About a dozen tradies then chased after the single cab ute, which had stopped at a red light at the intersection of Hunter Street and Stewart Avenue.

The road rage incident started with a dispute in the KFC Palais Newcastle car park. Picture: Google Maps via NCA NewsWire

The workers banged on the ute’s windows and demanded the driver get out so they could make a citizen’s arrest, but the driver was having none of it and rammed into the stationary car in front.

The tradies backed off as the ute spun its tyres, causing smoke to come from the wheels. The driver eventually barged between the cars in front, through a red light and into the intersection.

It was there she crashed into another car before the driver sped off along Stewart Avenue.

NSW Police said they were called to Hunter Street after reports a pedestrian had been hit and several vehicles damaged by a white ute about 6.20am on Friday.

A 29-year-old woman has been taken to Newcastle police station for questioning. Picture: Facebook/Luke Kennedy

Officers found the ute abandoned on King Street a short time later, and it was seized for forensic examination.

The woman was arrested at a hotel in King Street about 9.15am. She has been charged with using an offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention, dangerous driving, not giving particulars to other driver and possessing a prohibited drug.

She was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Friday.

Superintendent Humphrey said the potential for someone to die as a result of the behaviour was “quite evident”.

“I have a little concern for what occurred in that carpark but whatever did should not have culminated in that furious driving activity, it was horrendous,” Superintendent Humphrey said.

“What I’m looking at is the potential reality for people to die in the main street of Newcastle from driving that was just atrocious.”

Superintendent Humphrey did not detail what the pair were arguing about but said the woman may have been previously known to police.

He said the man and other drivers were very lucky to not be more seriously injured.

“It would have been a massive surprise to be sitting their lawfully at a red light and someone ramming you from behind trying to escape,” he said.

“That could have easily pushed one of those cars into the intersection, which would have ended in a much more significant collision than the one we saw that she was lucky to drive away from.”

Superintendent Humphrey said police were still appealing for mobile phone and dashcam vision from the incident along Honeysuckle Drive and King Street.

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