Car rams into pedestrians in Melbourne; up to 19 injured
SYDNEY — Two men were arrested in Australia after the SUV in which they were travelling rammed into pedestrians on a busy central Melbourne street yesterday, leaving 14 people injured in what police believe was a deliberate act.
Victoria state police said the driver of the vehicle and a second man were in custody after the incident, which occurred on Flinders Street in the city’s central business district just after 16:45 when the area was busy with Christmas shoppers.
Commander Russell Barrett told media that while the motive of the incident was not immediately clear, “at this stage we believe it was a deliberate act”.
Asked if police had ruled out terrorism as motivation, Barrett said only: “At this stage it’s early days in the investigation and the motivation is unknown.”
Barrett confirmed 14 people had been injured in the attack. Several were taken to hospitals, and two were in critical condition, including a pre-school aged boy with head injuries. Earlier media reports said up to 19 people had been injured.
Witnesses described horrific scenes from the incident, which started when the SUV ran a red light outside Flinders Street train station and sped up to hit pedestrians, striking more than a dozen people before crashing into a traffic barrier by a cable car stop.
“I was crossing Flinders Street on the way to the train station. I heard an engine rev behind me and heard a thump,” one man identified only as David said on ABC TV. He said he turned around saw “people literally getting thrown into the air as it hit them”.
Witnesses said when the car crashed it was rushed by bystanders who started pulling the two men out before police arrived a few minutes later.
Police said they deployed officers across the area and the site would be closed-off as a crime scene for some time.
“Police will continue to have a strong presence in the Melbourne CBD tonight,” Barrett said.
Meanwhile, the man who intentionally drove a car into a crowded intersection in the heart of Melbourne yesterday has a history of mental health issues but no known “terrorism” links, police said.
The 32-year-old Australian man of Afghan descent was known to police and also has a history of drug use, Victoria state Police Acting Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said.
“At this time we do not have any evidence or intelligence to indicate a connection with terrorism,” Patton told reporters in Melbourne.
The suspect was apprehended by an off-duty officer of the Victoria police force. Both men were injured during the arrest.
The white four-wheel-drive vehicle crashed into a cable car stop on Flinders Street during late afternoon rush hour yesterday.
The driver was arrested along with another person, who was seen filming the incident and was later found to be carrying several knives.
“We believe based on what we have seen that it is a deliberate act. The motivations are unknown,” Victoria Police’s Commander Russell Barrett told reporters.
Witnesses saw one man wearing a long-sleeved top being dragged from the white Suzuki Grand Vitara, while a second man wearing a red checked shirt was seen handcuffed and sitting on the ground.
Al Jazeera’s Andrew Thomas, reporting from Sydney, said several of the wounded were in critical condition.
“They haven’t established any links with terrorism. That isn’t necessarily saying that this wasn’t a terrorist event. But they certainly not saying that as yet,” Thomas said.
“Interestingly, the second person arrested on the scene was not inside the vehicle. There had been some speculation earlier that he may have been in the car. He wasn’t. He was seen to be filming the incident on his mobile phone.
“When police arrested him and looked inside his bag, they found some knifes. That’s why he was taken into custody as well. It is not clear whether he knew the man inside the car or not.
Daniel Andrews, Victoria’s State Premier, called it the incident an act of evil.— AFP/Al Jazeera.