Newcastle Knights player Pauli Pauli is among 10 people injured in a horror smash at Cowan near Sydney last night.
Police believe three cars – a Toyota MR2, a Subaru Liberty and a Mazda Tribute – were travelling northbound on the M1 near the Hawkesbury River Bridge when all three were involved in a crash about 10pm.
The initial collision caused four more cars to lose control and crash.
The 66-year-old driver of the Toyota was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital where he is in a stable condition with a chest and head injuries.
The 22-year-old driver of the Subaru, believed to be Pauli, sustained hip injuries and three of his passengers were injured.
A 27-year-old woman suffered a broken leg, an 18-year-old man suffered spinal injuries and a 15-year-old boy suffered a broken collarbone.
A 58-year-old Gorokan woman from another car sustained a chest injury, and a 63-year-old woman from Copacabana was uninjured.
A 13-year-old girl suffered bruising.
A 50-year-old man from Woy Woy suffered chest pain and a 47-year-old passenger of his car is being treated for chest and neck injuries.
The injured were taken to variety of NSW hospitals, including Royal North Shore, Gosford, Westmead and The Children’s Hospital.
The exact cause of the crash is yet to be determined.
Northbound lanes of the M1 were closed for three hours but have since been reopened.
Pauli, who plays prop, has played 15 games for the Knights after joining the club from Parramatta.
The club says its immediate concern is for Pauli’s welfare. He is currently at Gosford Hospital.
