Melburnians’ incredible display of kindness after car ploughed through pedestrians

PEDESTRIANS in the city’s CBD displayed extraordinary courage during this afternoon’s horrific events as they rushed to help the injured.

Pedestrians showed incredible courage in helping those injured after a car ploughed into them in Melbourne’s CBD. Picture: Tony Gough

WARNING: Graphic images.

MELBOURNE showed extraordinary courage this afternoon as pedestrians rushed to help those killed and injured by a rampaging driver in the CBD.

The man mowed down adults and children in the city centre at around 1.40pm this afternoon, leaving at least four dead, a man and woman in their 30s and a child.

Fifteen people were injured with five in a critical condition, one of whom is an infant child, Victoria Police said. Witnesses said bodies flew through the air, with a baby thrown from a pram, which lay mangled in the street after the chaos.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton told ABC’s 7.30: “We’ve had many police on duty in the city, the Australian Open tennis is on here at the moment so we’ve got a lot of additional police on duty in the city.

“Many police were on the scene really quickly as a result of that, primarily those tasked with arresting the offender arrested the offender but we had many police involved in administering first aid to the injured, we had off-duty paramedics, people quickly coming to their assistance and also, importantly, members of the public, and this was incredible, we’ve had a lot of members of the public just stepping up straight away.

“Officers have told me of a sense almost of calm, of members of the public quickly coming to the aid of the injured and no doubt we need to pay testimony to their efforts tonight because but for their efforts this death toll could have been a lot higher.”

Melburnians and tourists were seen helping emergency services to treat the injured, as blood spattered the streets. Other passers-by showed police officers images of the 26-year-old driver, who is known to police after domestic, running down pedestrians on their phones, to help with the investigation.

A woman in a smart dress and bare feet cradles an injured woman in the recovery position. Picture: Tony Gough

Locals and tourists showed extraordinary kindness all across the city centre. Picture: Alex Coppel

A woman in a smart dress and bare feet cradled an injured woman in the recovery position. Police took a critically injured child to hospital in a police car before paramedics arrived.

The driver was dragged from a crashed car and handcuffed at Bourke Street Mall, wearing just red underpants.

An employee of a health food store just off Bourke street said the scene was “just crazy”, with injured people all down the street frantically seeking help.

“You could hear the car hitting stuff and people were just screaming,” the witness told news.com.au. “People were running everywhere. It was just crazy.”

He said he saw two bodies covered up lying near emergency personnel.

“I can’t believe it. There was one guy who was just screaming near them (the bodies). He looked real bad. I think he just lost his mate.”

Caring bystanders helped emergency services deal with the chaos. Picture: Tony Gough

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the generosity made him “very proud” to be a citizen of “this great state”. Picture: Tony Gough

“They were just over there, but there were people injured all up the street.”

Domenic Stephen tweeted that his wife was among those who helped the injured. “My wife has assisted the injured and given a statement to Police as a witness after she narrowly missed being hit in the #Melbourne CBD,” he said. “She is extremely fortunate to be uninjured. Understandably, she is very shaken.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said: “I want to pay special tribute every minute these last couple of hours we have heard more and more stories coming out of ordinary Victorians coming to the aid of their fellow Victorians reaching out, helping, providing assistance, doing the right thing. That does them great credit and it makes me and all of us very proud to be citizens of this great state.

“So we thank each and every member of the public everyone affected around this incident who has reached out to provide support, care and love to those that have been affected. Our hearts are breaking this afternoon that a number of people have died.

“Others remain in a critical condition, very, very serious ill or gravely ill in hospitals around our city but we are stronger than this. We through our response, through the work of our emergency services, the work that the instinctive way in which Victorians have reached to support each other we can be confident we are stronger than this evil criminal act.

Passers-by help a bleeding and distressed young woman. Picture: Tony Gough

Witnesses try to help police trace the driver’s route from Flinders Street Station to Bourke Street Mall with photos on their phones. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

“I want to pay special tribute every minute these last couple of hours we have heard more and more stories coming out of ordinary Victorians coming to the aid of their fellow Victorians reaching out, helping, providing assistance, doing the right thing. That does them great credit and it makes me and all of us very proud to be citizens of this great state.”

Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Robert Doyle described how the driver found his way from Flinders Street Station towards Bourke Street Mall, in a video tweet posted this afternoon.

“As that car reached Colin Street it accelerated down Swanson Street, attempted to turn left into Little Collins St and then to our horror, because its way was blocked by the bollards which were in place at lunch time, it mounted the pavement and drove at speed down towards the Bourke Street Mall.

“The rest of the story unfolded at the mall.”

Do you know more? Email [e-mail] and contact Crimestoppers Victoria on 1800 333 000.

It was a tragic day for the city. Picture: Tony Gough