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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2017/dec/21/pedestrians-injured-in-vehicle-collision-on-melbournes-flinders-street-live
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| Melbourne police call Flinders Street crash 'a deliberate act' – live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| I’m going to leave you now with our reporter in Melbourne, Calla Wahlquist, who will keep you abreast of developments as they emerge. | |
| A few more details from that brief police press conference: | |
| Fourteen people have been injured, several are in critical conditions | |
| Police believe this was a deliberate act, but the motivations are unknown | |
| The two men have not yet been charged. They remain in police custody | |
| Police repeated their plea for people to avoid the area. They will be on scene for an extended period. | |
| Police will continue to have a strong presence in Melbourne’s CBD tonight. People may have items and vehicles within the crime scene. At this stage they will not able to be received until the crime scene is reopened. | |
| Police are speaking to the media now. They have described the incident as a “deliberate act”, but they say the motivations are still unknown. They’ve said it’s too early to say. | |
| Asked whether they can rule out a terror attack, police said: | |
| At this stage it’s early days in the investigation and the motivation is unknown. | |
| Flinders Street is still cordoned off from Queen, where police are about to hold a press conference @knausc pic.twitter.com/EF9xQvDi1Z | |
| Rose Stoupas owns Walker’s Doughnuts on the corner of Flinders and Elizabeth streets. | |
| She told The Guardian: “it was mayhem, there were people flying everywhere, and the police have ordered all businesses to close their stores. | |
| “Lots of people were injured, I’m very shocked, the offender’s car is still there, but pedestrians have been cleared mostly from the area. It’s a shitty, shitty day.” | |
| Her husband John, was standing outside their store when the man drove his car into the crowd of pedestrians crossing the road. | |
| “All you could hear was bang, bang, bang, bang,” he told the ABC, estimating the car was travelling at 80km an hour. | |
| “This is the busiest corner in Melbourne. This and Swanston Street corner are the two busiest corners in Melbourne. It was packed. Our store was packed. Pedestrians crossing the road were completely packed. It was solid with people. We were very, very busy in the whole area. All you could hear was the sound of the car hitting people [and] the screams.” | |
| “All you could hear was bang, bang, bang, bang,” a witness who watched the incident from Flinders Street said, estimating the car was travelling at about 80km an hour. | |
| “This is the busiest corner in Melbourne. This and Swanston Street corner are the two busiest corners in Melbourne. | |
| “It was packed. Our store was packed. Pedestrians crossing the road were completely packed. It was solid with people. We were very, very busy in the whole area. | |
| All you could hear was the sound of the car hitting people [and] the screams.” | |
| Another eyewitness, John, has just spoken to the ABC about the “horrific scene” outside Flinders Street station. He said bodies were thrown into the air as the car ploughed into them. | |
| He was asked whether he was OK: | He was asked whether he was OK: |
| I’ve never seen anything like this before and I really haven’t stopped shaking. So it’s difficult for me to say whether I’m OK. | |
| We’re expecting to hear from the police shortly. But before we do, just a quick update on what we know so far: | We’re expecting to hear from the police shortly. But before we do, just a quick update on what we know so far: |
| A car, thought to be a white Suzuki SUV, crashed into pedestrians in one of the busiest areas of Melbourne’s CBD, outside Flinders Street station, just after 4.30pm | |
| 13 people have been transported to hospital. One was a preschool aged child with a serious head injury. The injured have been taken to hospitals across the city | |
| Two people have been arrested. One was the driver. Police have saturated the area and blocked off key parts of the CBD | |
| Witnesses have described a horrifying scene. Bodies were flying up into the air. The car is said to have made no attempt to stop. Bystanders rushed to help the injured | |
| Police are urging people to stay away from the scene | |
| Shocking scenes in Melbourne this afternoon. Credit to first responders who are doing us proud once again. Thinking of everyone caught up in this atrocity. | Shocking scenes in Melbourne this afternoon. Credit to first responders who are doing us proud once again. Thinking of everyone caught up in this atrocity. |
| Police have just released another statement. They say a second man has been arrested. Here’s their statement in full: | Police have just released another statement. They say a second man has been arrested. Here’s their statement in full: |
| Police have saturated the CBD area following an incident where a car has collided with a number of pedestrians on Flinders Street. | Police have saturated the CBD area following an incident where a car has collided with a number of pedestrians on Flinders Street. |
| The incident occurred when the vehicle struck a number of pedestrians in front of Flinders Street Station just after 4.30pm. | The incident occurred when the vehicle struck a number of pedestrians in front of Flinders Street Station just after 4.30pm. |
| The driver of the vehicle and a second man have been arrested and are in police custody. | The driver of the vehicle and a second man have been arrested and are in police custody. |
| A number of people were treated at the scene for a range of injuries and have been transported to hospital. | A number of people were treated at the scene for a range of injuries and have been transported to hospital. |
| A crime scene has been established and all vehicular and pedestrian traffic are advised to avoid the area. | A crime scene has been established and all vehicular and pedestrian traffic are advised to avoid the area. |
| If members of the public have video footage or images, which may assist police with their investigation, they are encouraged to upload them here: http://australiauploadserviceweb.cloudapp.net | If members of the public have video footage or images, which may assist police with their investigation, they are encouraged to upload them here: http://australiauploadserviceweb.cloudapp.net |
| Witnesses are requested to attend at the Melbourne West Police Station, 313 Spencer Street, Melbourne or to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au | Witnesses are requested to attend at the Melbourne West Police Station, 313 Spencer Street, Melbourne or to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au |
| Here’s the aerial shot of a white SUV, which appears to have crashed into a tram stop on Flinders street. | Here’s the aerial shot of a white SUV, which appears to have crashed into a tram stop on Flinders street. |
| Chopper shot of the damaged vehicle outside Flinders Street @9NewsMelb #breaking pic.twitter.com/yV95Lx036T | Chopper shot of the damaged vehicle outside Flinders Street @9NewsMelb #breaking pic.twitter.com/yV95Lx036T |
| The incident has left large numbers of people stranded. Police have closed off many areas around Flinders and Elizabeth streets. Police are urging people to stay away from the area. | The incident has left large numbers of people stranded. Police have closed off many areas around Flinders and Elizabeth streets. Police are urging people to stay away from the area. |
| People stuck on the balcony over Flinders Street and Elizabeth Street, closed off for multiple ambulances @SkyNewsAust pic.twitter.com/JTsHDt2X6y | People stuck on the balcony over Flinders Street and Elizabeth Street, closed off for multiple ambulances @SkyNewsAust pic.twitter.com/JTsHDt2X6y |
| Another witness, Vince, has spoken to AAP. He was working in a shop at Flinders Street station and rushed to the scene before emergency services arrived. | |
| There was no screaming, just people lying there. | There was no screaming, just people lying there. |
| Bystanders also rushed to help the injured pedestrians, he said. | |
| They were just holding them and comforting them. | They were just holding them and comforting them. |
| Witnesses are continuing to speak about the distressing scenes in Melbourne this afternoon. | Witnesses are continuing to speak about the distressing scenes in Melbourne this afternoon. |
| We’re yet to hear from police. | We’re yet to hear from police. |
| One witness, John, said: | One witness, John, said: |
| It was such a horrific scene, bodies being flown into the air. | It was such a horrific scene, bodies being flown into the air. |
| Another witness, David, told ABC radio: | Another witness, David, told ABC radio: |
| I heard the engine rev and I heard the first thump, and I turned around ... I just saw it [the vehicle] ploughing through pedestrians as everyone was crossing the road, and then crashing into the tram stop. | I heard the engine rev and I heard the first thump, and I turned around ... I just saw it [the vehicle] ploughing through pedestrians as everyone was crossing the road, and then crashing into the tram stop. |