Car plows into pedestrians in Melbourne, Australia; four dead and fifteen hurt
A man with a history of mental health and drug manhandle issues drove into a street crowded with pedestrians in Australia’s second-largest city on Friday, killing at least four people, including a child, and injuring around fifteen others, police said.
The chaos began in the early afternoon, after a man was seen driving in erratic circles in the middle of a major intersection in downtown Melbourne. The driver then turned onto the Bourke Street Mall, a pedestrian-only road, deliberately mowing people down before continuing onto a sidewalk and hitting several others, Victoria state Police Acting Commander Stuart Bateson said.
Police shot the driver and arrested him at the scene. The 26-year-old man was being treated at a hospital for injuries, that did not emerge life-threatening, police said. Officials have not released his name and said there is no further threat to the public.
The incident comes amid global concern over extremists using vehicles to strike crowds, following truck attacks in Berlin and Nice, France, last year. Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the Melbourne incident had no links to terrorism.
The driver has a history of mental health and drug manhandle issues and has an extensive record of domestic violence, Ashton told reporters. Last weekend, he was arrested after police say he assaulted members of his family.
Before he began his rampage through Melbourne, police say he was involved in a domestic stabbing incident in a suburb earlier Friday. Police attempted to intercept his vehicle but called off the pursue before he entered the downtown area because he was driving so erratically. Ashton said they feared a pursue through the city might endanger the community.
Two adults and a child were killed after being struck by the man’s car, Ashton said. They were not related. A fourth person died in a hospital Friday night. Police did not release any details on that victim.
An extra fifteen people were injured. Of those, five — including an infant — were in critical condition.
Sharn Baylis, a tourist from the southern city of Adelaide, said she was on Bourke Street when she mistook the car for an unmarked police vehicle before it commenced catapulting into pedestrians.
“He was just collecting people as he was going along, and they were flying like Skittles, basically,” Baylis told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “He was just driving in a truly determined style, just in a straight line. There was no hesitancy as he got to the crowds, and he didn’t swerve. It was just — he just drove through them.”
Movie footage shot from a news helicopter displayed several officers standing over a man lounging on the sidewalk, clad only in his underwear, his forearms evidently manacled behind his back.
A movie posted on social media captured the moment the car began driving in circles in the intersection before continuing on toward Bourke Street. The driver could be seen suspending out the window, evidently shouting.
The crisis unfolded at a particularly busy time in Melbourne, which is hosting the Australian Open tennis championship. Officials said the event was continuing as normal.
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Tropical Storm Harvey resumes to drench southeastern Texas. ‘Texas Chain Witnessed Massacre’ director Tobe Hooper died Saturday at 74. Amazon’s purchase of Entire Foods was finished yesterday. NASA’s Cassini is making its final dives around Saturn. Hollywood seems to eventually be taking sexual harassment gravely. Climate switch didn’t cause Tropical Storm Harvey, but it could explain latest catastrophic storms. Hollywood is taking a major hit at the box office this summer.
Tropical Storm Harvey proceeds to drench southeastern Texas. ‘Texas Chain Spotted Massacre’ director Tobe Hooper died Saturday at 74. Amazon’s purchase of Entire Foods was ended yesterday. NASA’s Cassini is making its final dives around Saturn. Hollywood seems to ultimately be taking sexual harassment gravely. Climate switch didn’t cause Tropical Storm Harvey, but it could explain latest catastrophic storms. Hollywood is taking a major hit at the box office this summer.
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