Nine people have been injured, including a man who is in a critical condition, after a speedway car crashed into the crowd at a demolition derby event in the state’s north-west on Saturday night.

A 54-year-old man who is in a critical condition with spinal injuries, and three others who sustained serious injuries, were expected to be airlifted from Walcha in the Northern Tablelands to major hospitals overnight.

The incident unfolded about 6.15pm at the Walcha showground, about 90km east of Tamworth, where the Walcha Motorcycle Rally is taking place across the weekend.

Police say a vehicle competing in the derby crashed through a fence and hit a mobile grandstand where crowds were watching. As emergency services rushed to the scene, bystanders stepped in to administer first aid.

Witness

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