Car rams into pedestrians in Australia, injuring 19

Police have arrested the driver of the white SUV, which crashed into a cable car stop in central Melbourne, but said they did not believe the attack to be terror-related.

A damaged vehicle is seen at the scene of an incident on Flinders Street, in Melbourne, Australia on December 21, 2017.
Reuters

A damaged vehicle is seen at the scene of an incident on Flinders Street, in Melbourne, Australia on December 21, 2017.

An Australian man of Afghan descent with a history of mental health issues drove a car into Christmas shoppers in the city of Melbourne on Thursday, injuring 19 people, but police said they did not believe the attack was terror-related.

"At this time, we don't have any evidence or intelligence to indicate a connection with terrorism," said acting chief Commissioner Shane Patton, who added that the driver suffered mental health issues.

In January, four people were killed and more than 20 injured when a man deliberately drove into pedestrians just a few hundred metres away from Thursday's attack. That too was not a terror attack.

Four of the injured were in critical condition, including a pre-school aged boy who suffered a head injury.

TRT World's Liz Maddock reports.

Loading...

Jim Stoupas, the owner of a donut shop near the intersection, said the vehicle was traveling up to 100 kph (62 mph) and the intersection was packed, just days before Christmas.

"He just ploughed into the pedestrians and what stopped him was, I think, just the amount of pedestrians he'd mowed over," Stoupas said in a phone interview.

"He came to a rest against the tram sign, and all you could hear was just 'bang bang bang bang bang' (of the car hitting pedestrians) and screams."

Police said they detained the 32-year-old driver, an Australian of Afghan descent with a history of assault, drug use and mental health issues.

Police also detained a 24-year-old man at the scene who was filming the incident and had a bag with knifes.

Patton said it was "quite probable" the 24-year-old was not involved.

The men had not been charged and their names have not been released by police.

The attack took place on Flinders Street, a major road that runs alongside the Yarra River, in the central business district of Australia's second-biggest city.

"Our thoughts & prayers are with the victims & the emergency & health workers who are treating them," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in a post on his official Twitter account.

Melbourne has installed about 140 concrete bollards in the city centre to stop vehicle attacks by militants similar to recent attacks in Europe and the United States.

Sydney, Australia's biggest city, has installed concrete barricades in main pedestrian thoroughfares.

Australia has been on a "high" national threat level since 2015, citing the likelihood of attacks by Australians radicalised in Iraq and Syria.

Two hostages were killed during a 17-hour siege by a "lone wolf" gunman, inspired by Daesh, in a cafe in Sydney in December 2014.

Route 6