‘Snack may have saved my life’

Australia: Student in next-street restaurant when rogue driver killed four

A hungry north-east student’s decision to visit a restaurant could have saved her from becoming a victim of one of the most violent attacks in Australian history.

Casey Taylor, 20, is in her third year of studying law at Brisbane University.

She arrived in Melbourne last week for a holiday, but instead narrowly avoided walking into the scene of an incident which

“If I hadn’t stopped, I don’t know what awful thing could have happened”

caused multiple fatalities. Four people were killed and at least 20 others injured after 26-year-old Dimitrious Gargasoulas intentionally ploughed his car into pedestrians on the city’s Bourke Street, a popular street which is full of eateries, bars and shops.

Police in Australia have subsequently confirmed the incident was not terrorism-related.

Miss Taylor, from Aberdeen, said: “I was just around the corner when it happened.

“I had been walking all around the city centre exploring, and I was heading towards Bourke Street, where the main collision took place.

“But, before turning on to that road, I decided to pop into a wee restaurant to grab something to eat. When I came back out again, I saw police cars speeding past towards Bourke Street.

“It was a really scary atmosphere, everyone knew that something bad had happened, but they had no idea what. And when I got to Bourke Street, it was all completely cordoned off and there were cops absolutely everywhere, a lot of them had guns.

“I decided to get away from the city for the rest of the day just in case, and when I got back at about 6pm there were even more police everywhere, trams weren’t running. Everything was at a standstill.”

Miss Taylor said she considered herself lucky to have avoided becoming one of the many casualties in the attack.

She added: “It was really scary. If I hadn’t stopped, I don’t know what kind of awful thing could have happened.

“I could easily have been in the area where he attacked. Everyone is talking about it, and how they can’t believe it.

“It’s such a lively area that has usually got street performers, but it’s now such a horrible atmosphere and everyone is scared.

“I really like Melbourne, but with the situation right now, I’m glad I am away to continue my holiday on New Zealand tomorrow.”

CHAOS: Police and emergency services gather at the scene after a man deliberately drove his car into pedestrians in Melbourne, killing four of them Casey Taylor was yards away from mass murder