Shaken witnesses have spoken out after a car hit more than a dozen pedestrians as Christmas shoppers flooded Melbourne's Flinders Street.
It is claimed the car, a white Suzuki, ran a red light just after 4.30pm on Thursday - aerial footage of the scene showed the vehicle after it crashed into a tram stop.
The car ploughed into 19 pedestrians with one man in his 80s in a critical condition and 12 people in hospital as of Friday morning, according to Victoria Police's acting commissioner Shane Patton.
Two men, including the driver, were arrested following the incident.
Police said the driver, an Australian citizen of Afghani descent, had a history of mental illness and did not have links to terrorism. He was taken to hospital and remains under police guard.
The second man, 24, was initially arrested but police have since said he has no links to the incident.
Witness Jim said the Suzuki was travelling west along Flinders Street at up to 100km/h.
"The intersection was full of pedestrians and he just ploughed through," he told ABC News.
"The only thing that slowed him down was him hitting pedestrians.
"There was no breaking, there was no slowing down."
A police press conference is held at Flinders Street, in Melbourne, Thursday, December 21, 2017 (AAP) Source: AAP
Another witness Vince was working in a shop at Flinders Street Station at the time.
He said he rushed to the scene before emergency services arrived.
"There was no screaming, just people lying there," he told AAP, adding that onlookers were quick to lend a hand.
"They were just holding them and comforting them."
Car ploughs into pedestrians on Melbourne’s Flinders Street. Source: SBS News
'People flying everywhere'
A witness, named only as Sue, told Melbourne radio station 3AW she heard screams and saw "people flying everywhere".
"We could hear this noise, as we looked left, we saw this white car, it just mowed everybody down," she said.
"People are flying everywhere. We heard thump, thump. People are running everywhere."
Another witness, John, told ABC Radio Melbourne he saw an "SUV coming at high speed".
"(I) really just heard the collision with people with bags and what must be shopping trolleys - and I hope not prams," he said.
Source: SBS
"I've really never seen anything like this before and I haven't stopped shaking."
Thursday's incident on Flinders Street between Elizabeth and Swanston streets has brought parts of the city to a standstill four days out from Christmas.
The intersection is one of Melbourne's busiest and is particularly crowded at this time of the year ahead of the Christmas break, with school holidays underway.
-With AAP, AFP
