Early Friday afternoon, a man was seen driving in erratic circles in the middle of a major intersection in downtown Melbourne, officials said. The driver then turned onto a pedestrian-only road, hitting pedestrians on the Bourke Street Mall before proceeding onto a sidewalk and striking several other people, Victoria Police Acting Commander Stuart Bateson told the AP.
Video footage from a witness showed the maroon-colored car as the driver drove erratically outside the Flinders Street railway section, Reuters reported.
Two people approached the car, apparently trying to stop it.
"He was half hanging outside the car ... he was just so reckless ... he just didn't care," witness Laura Pollson told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
A shop video showed several people diving into a convenience store as the car sped along the pedestrian walkway, Reuters reported.
Police eventually rammed the car and shot the 26-year-old driver in the arm, before dragging him from the vehicle and arresting him, Reuters reported. Police said the man had a history of family violence and was wanted over a stabbing earlier in the day. Police said they did not believe the incident was terror-related.
pram tipped over next to ambulance pic.twitter.com/NVt4W25pBF
— rafael epstein (@Raf_Epstein) January 20, 2017
A car mounted the sidewalk at pace and sent at least half a dozen pedestrians flying in the air. I was on the other side of the road. https://t.co/tSflMvpn2k
— Meg Watson (@msmegwatson) January 20, 2017
About the Author