CAR MOWS DOWN PEDESTRIANS IN MELBOURNE CBD
Two arrested after four-wheel-drive ploughs into pedestrians outside a Melbourne station, injuring 14 people
Fourteen pedestrians were injured by a four-wheel-drive in the centre of Melbourne yesterday, in what police said was “a deliberate act”. The car hit and injured a number of pedestrians — several critically — outside Melbourne’s Flinders Street station, then crashed into a bollard.
Police confirmed the driver of the vehicle and a second man were arrested after the carnage which began about 4.45pm, peak hour in the CBD. Neither had been charged last night.
“At this stage, we believe it was a deliberate act. The motivations are unknown. It’s still early days in the investigation,” Victoria Police Commander Russell Barrett told a media conference.
Asked whether police had ruled out a terror attack, he repeated it was “early in the investigation and motivation is unknown”.
He confirmed 14 people were in hospital, “several” of them in critical conditions.
Footage taken by a witness shows a man in a white shirt and blue jeans being dragged from the passenger side of the vehicle. Smoke is pouring out of the bonnet.
Another photo shows a man in a red-and-black chequered shirt sitting on the ground with his arms cuffed behind his back.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said his “thoughts and prayers” are with the victims and the emergency services workers tending to them.
A preschool-aged child with head injuries was among the injured and was taken to Royal Children’s Hospital in a serious condition.
Those needing treatment were transported to The Royal Melbourne and Alfred Hospital. More were being treated at the scene, Ambulance Victoria said.
Witnesses described horrific scenes that included “people flying everywhere” as the carnage unfolded at the corner of Elizabeth and Flinders streets at 4.41pm.
The vehicle ran a red light, witnesses told local radio station 3AW, before mowing into pedestrians.
Bystanders said the vehicle made “no effort to slow down”.
Sue, from Walker’s Doughnuts, said: “We could hear this noise, as we looked left, we saw this white car, it just mauled everybody down. People are flying everywhere. We heard thump, thump. People are running everywhere.”
Witness Jim said the Suzuki was travelling at up to 100km/h. “The intersection was full of pedestrians and he just ploughed through,” he told ABC TV, adding that the only thing that slowed him down was hitting pedestrians.
“There was no braking, there was no slowing down. Whether it was targeted or whether he had a heart attack, or was drunk, I don’t know.”
Vince was working nearby and rushed to the scene before emergency services arrived.
“There was no screaming, just people lying there,” he told AAP.
Police appealed to members of the public to contact them if they had video footage or images.
In January, four people were killed and 29 injured when a man drove a car through Melbourne's Bourke St mall.
Heavy concrete bollards were placed at key spots around the city, including at Flinders Street Station, to prevent vehicles ploughing into pedestrians.