Eric Cooper, 37, has appeared in Christies Beach Magistrates Court after alleged violent hit-run in Pt Elliot

A 37-year-old NSW man has fronted court for the first time after allegedly plowing into a group of people outside a popular Pt Elliot hotel – leaving one of them with serious life-threatening injuries.

A NSW man will spend the next four months behind bars on remand after allegedly mowing down a group of people outside the Royal Family Hotel in Pt Elliot last weekend.

Eric Cooper, 37, appeared in the Christies Beach Magistrates via video link charged with a number of aggravated driving offences following an alleged fiery altercation which left a 22-year-old man fighting for life. He made no application for bail.

Mr Cooper is yet to enter any pleas to five counts of aggravated cause harm by dangerous driving, one count of aggravated cause serious harm by dangerous driving, one count of aggravated due care and one count of leaving the scene of the accident.

Video footage, shot from a balcony near the Royal Family Hotel, shows Mr Cooper’s blue Ford sedan reversing into a group of people just after 1.30am on Saturday morning.

The car allegedly used in a hit and run crash at Pt Elliot. Picture: SA Police

The alleged hit-run crash left a young man fighting for life and four other people injured outside the front of the Royal Family Hotel on North Tce in Pt Elliot. Picture: Gary Juleff

Outside court, a supporter of Mr Cooper said he had seen the “sh*t” and “terrible” vision, calling it “disgusting behaviour”.

“What I can tell you is that it ruins lives,” the man said.

The impact left a 22-year-old man from Hindmarsh Island with serious life-threatening injuries, including to his legs, while several others were pinned against a wall according to police.

Four other people – a 21-year-old man from Goolwa Beach, a 37-year-old woman from Port Elliott, a 20-year-old woman from Inman Valley and a 30-year-old man from Blackwood – were taken to hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

Victims at the scene of the alleged hit-run. Picture: Gary Juleff

Victims at the scene of the alleged hit-run. Picture: Gary Juleff

Victims at the scene of the alleged hit-run. Picture: Gary Juleff

One victim, Gidget Whibley, 20, told the Sunday Mail she was grateful to be alive and said “it could have been so much worse”.

“He started going the other way and I couldn’t remember what happened next – it was all just a blur,” Ms Whibley said.

“I remember getting up off the ground and thinking, ‘Can I feel anything? Am I breathing?’ But nothing was broken.

“We were all pretty traumatised. We were just baffled that we were all alive.”

Mr Cooper will face the Adelaide Magistrates Court in February.

Originally published as Eric Cooper, 37, has appeared in Christies Beach Magistrates Court after alleged violent hit-run in Pt Elliot