One person is dead and a man is in police custody after a car drove into pedestrians in Bourke Street mall in Melbourne.
The car was reportedly driving erratically before it mounted the footpath and hit a number of pedestrians, according to witnesses.
“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,” Victoria police said.
“Emergency services are assisting multiple patients but at least one person has been confirmed deceased.”
The police statement didn’t provide details about the deceased person, or how he or she died. It said the situation was now “contained”.
Ambulance Victoria confirmed that paramedics were treating a number of people hit by the car.
A witness, Hank Kerr, said he had seen people jumping out of the way but there were also people being hit and thrown to one side. “All we could see was just the car and carnage – people were flying everywhere.”
Kerr said the car had mounted the footpath and kept driving up Bourke Street through crowds of pedestrians.
Another witness, who did not wish to be named, said he was walking from the post office towards the Bourke and Elizabeth street intersection when he heard a car “screaming down” the Bourke Street mall at high speed, which is for pedestrians and trams only.
“Because it was so loud I looked up and I saw one person bounce off the windscreen of the car before it disappeared down Bourke Street towards Spencer Street, and police cars were following it and a helicopter chasing it,” he told Guardian Australia.
“I could see at least two groups of injured people. I saw someone lying on the ground near the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth and then someone else down near Bourke Street. Now they’ve blocked off all the streets.”
According to another, Meg Watson, the car mounted the kerb “at pace” and struck pedestrians.
Victoria police said the circumstances were being investigated and pedestrian access to Bourke Street between William and Swanston streets had been closed.
The corner of Bourke and Elizabeth streets was closed and some pedestrians were been directed into the GPO by police as they tried to clear the area.
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Out-of-control car kills 1, injures 20 in Melbourne
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