POLICE have said a crash which injured 14 people in Australia was a “deliberate act”.
Witnesses described “people flying everywhere” as a white car was driven at crowds outside Flinders Street station in Melbourne just after 4.30pm (5.30am GMT).
Officers said several people are in a critical condition, adding it was “early days” in the investigation and the motivation was unknown.
Images from the scene showed a number of people receiving medical attention, while a white Suzuki SUV appeared to have crashed to a stop.
A woman called Sue told 3AW radio: “As it (the car) approached this intersection… it just mowed everybody down, people were flying everywhere.”
Social media images appeared to show a young man in jeans and a T-shirt being arrested by three police officers on the steps of the station, although it was unclear if he had been in the car.
Media conference regarding the Flinders Street incident with Commander Russell Barrett. pic.twitter.com/j7zx0V5fYQ
— Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) December 21, 2017
Sky News said the driver of the SUV was of Middle Eastern appearance and that he was wrestled to the ground and handcuffed following the crash.
Lachlan Read told the Herald Sun the whole incident lasted about 15 seconds.
“It was bang, bang, bang. It was just one after the other. The last bang the car stopped,” the 20-year-old said. “There were bodies on the ground and people running up to them – it was mayhem. It is definitely something you don’t expect to see on Flinders Street.”
Paramedics have now transported 13 people to city hospitals. Two more people are being assessed by paramedics at the scene.
— Ambulance Victoria (@AmbulanceVic) December 21, 2017
It was the first week of school summer holidays in Victoria, and the area was busy with Christmas shoppers.
Elton Hindoli, who works at an off licence by the scene of the incident in Elizabeth St, told the Herald Sun that a man who was pulled from the car appeared to be unconscious.
“A girl came into the shop and she was very upset,” he said.
“She said a guy in a big car had hit about six people.
“It wasn’t clear if the driver was hitting them on purpose or not.
Police have saturated the CBD area following an incident where a car has collided with a number of pedestrians on Flinders Street. All vehicular and pedestrian traffic are advised to avoid the area. More ➝ https://t.co/vW1hzCOmcc pic.twitter.com/KoPSI2zPcZ
— Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) December 21, 2017
“He hit the people then crashed into the tram area in the middle of the road.”
A man who was working in a nearby shop and was at the scene before emergency services arrived told the Australian Associated Press: “There was no screaming, just people lying there.”
Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull tweeted: “As our federal and state police and security agencies work together to secure the scene and investigate this shocking incident, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and the emergency and health workers who are treating them.”
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