Four people, including a child and a young father on his lunch break, are dead and 30 have been injured when a car ploughed through pedestrians in Melbourne CBD during the lunchtime rush hour on Friday.
The driver, who was reportedly at the center of a police chase, is said to have driven through Bourke Street Mall sending “bodies flying into the air”, after first being seen “doing burnouts” and “hanging out of the window” outside Flinders Street Station at about 1.30pm local time. Gun shots were also heard in the area.
Victoria Police have confirmed that they have arrested one man in connection with the incident.
A witness who spoke to The Age claimed to have seen the car hit a pram and drag it 100m.
“Where is my baby, where is my baby,” a frantic mother was reportedly heard screaming.
Those spoken to by media say the car was travelling at around 80 km/hr at the time of the accident.
Speaking to ABC News, a female eyewitness named Sian recounted the scenes that have widely been described as a “frenzied” car chase, saying what unfolded seemed “determined”.
She said during an on-air interview that the man was “driving in a really determined fashion in a straight line – he just drove straight through them.”
“He was actually on the footpath – it was packed during lunchtime.
“There was no slowing down – he was committed to it – he just mowed them down.”
Melbourne police believe the attack is related to a stabbing in the southeast of the city earlier in the day.
They released the following statement:
“A man has been arrested following an incident in the CBD this afternoon. At this early stage it is believed a man driving a vehicle has struck a number of pedestrians in the vicinity of Bourke and Queens Streets just before 2pm.
“Emergency services are assisting multiple patients but at least one person has been confirmed deceased.
“Pedestrian access has been closed on Bourke Street between William and Swanston Streets.
“The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are yet to be determined and we will provide further information when it comes to hand. Police request that people avoid the area. The situation is now contained.”
Images, videos and eye witness accounts have been rolling in on Twitter and paint a terrifying scene of the incident at one of Australia’s busiest malls.
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