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| Car Plows Into Pedestrians in Melbourne, Leaving Death in Wake | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| MELBOURNE, Australia — A car careened into a group of pedestrians in the center of Melbourne, Australia, on Friday. Three people died and at least 20 others were injured, officials said. | MELBOURNE, Australia — A car careened into a group of pedestrians in the center of Melbourne, Australia, on Friday. Three people died and at least 20 others were injured, officials said. |
| The police locked down the city after the episode, which occurred at midday in the bustling Bourke Street shopping mall area as the city was hosting the Australian Open tennis tournament. | The police locked down the city after the episode, which occurred at midday in the bustling Bourke Street shopping mall area as the city was hosting the Australian Open tennis tournament. |
| “A man driving a vehicle has struck a number of pedestrians in Bourke and Queen Street just before 2 p.m.,” the Victoria state police said in a statement. Acting Cmdr. Stuart Bateson said, “A male deliberately drove into pedestrians.” | “A man driving a vehicle has struck a number of pedestrians in Bourke and Queen Street just before 2 p.m.,” the Victoria state police said in a statement. Acting Cmdr. Stuart Bateson said, “A male deliberately drove into pedestrians.” |
| The police said that three people had died and that they had made one arrest. Video from the scene showed the car driving in a circular motion, seemingly out of control, as the police tried to stop it. | The police said that three people had died and that they had made one arrest. Video from the scene showed the car driving in a circular motion, seemingly out of control, as the police tried to stop it. |
| Maria Kitjapanon was quoted by The Age website of Victoria as describing a terrifying scene. “I saw the car, which was incredibly battered even by that stage,” she said. “It was coming straight towards me on the footpath. It took me a couple of seconds to compute, so I stepped aside onto the road. | Maria Kitjapanon was quoted by The Age website of Victoria as describing a terrifying scene. “I saw the car, which was incredibly battered even by that stage,” she said. “It was coming straight towards me on the footpath. It took me a couple of seconds to compute, so I stepped aside onto the road. |
| “As I was stepping off, another police car came about and rammed into the maroon car to make it stop. There were probably 10 police surrounding that guy’s car, with guns drawn, and they fired into the car.” | “As I was stepping off, another police car came about and rammed into the maroon car to make it stop. There were probably 10 police surrounding that guy’s car, with guns drawn, and they fired into the car.” |
| The episode happened just a month after the police said they had headed off a plot to attack several places in Melbourne on or around Christmas, including St. Paul’s Cathedral. Several men were arrested, and the police said they had been inspired by the Islamic State. | The episode happened just a month after the police said they had headed off a plot to attack several places in Melbourne on or around Christmas, including St. Paul’s Cathedral. Several men were arrested, and the police said they had been inspired by the Islamic State. |
| The Australian police say they have prevented 11 imminent terrorist attacks since September 2014. Last year, a 19-year-old man who the authorities said had plotted to run over and behead a police officer during a parade in Melbourne in 2015 was sentenced to 10 years in prison. | The Australian police say they have prevented 11 imminent terrorist attacks since September 2014. Last year, a 19-year-old man who the authorities said had plotted to run over and behead a police officer during a parade in Melbourne in 2015 was sentenced to 10 years in prison. |