As many as 19 people have been injured after a car deliberately drove into a crowd of pedestrians in central Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, police have said. The driver of the sport utility vehicle and another man were arrested at the scene after the vehicle crashed into a signal pole outside a cable car stop.
Police say the incident was “a deliberate act” but have not officially ruled it as terrorism. The incident occurred on a major road in downtown Melbourne as pedestrians were doing last-minute Christmas shopping. One witness told a Melbourne radio station she saw “people flying everywhere” as the SUV plowed through crowd.
The motive of the incident was not clear immediately. Sky News Australia reported the driver of the white Suzuki SUV was wrestled to the ground and handcuffed after his vehicle crashed into a bollard by a cable car stop. Commander Russell Barrett of the Victoria state police said 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.
At least 12 people have been hospitalized, including a toddler who suffered a serious head injury. Two other victims were treated at the scene. Witnesses told reporters that the car ran a red light, speeded up and struck pedestrians, in an area with a 40-kilometer (25-mile) -per-hour speed limit.
“As it (the car) approached this intersection ... it just mowed everybody down, people were flying everywhere,” one witness who identified herself only as Sue told radio station 3AW.
Thursday’s incident is the second of its kind to take place this year in Australia’s second-largest city. Six people were killed when a car drove into a group of pedestrians back in January.
