Nightmare in white: Melbourne driver on roof calmly surveys fatal carnage left in his wake

A driver with dark flowing hair and dressed in white sat on a car watching the carnage he allegedly caused after driving into two cars, three pedestrians and killing one man on Melbourne’s busiest street.

The driver surveys the carnage from the roof of his car following the crash in Melbourne’s Bourke Street on Friday night.

A driver with dark flowing hair and dressed in white sat on a car watching the carnage he allegedly caused after driving into two cars, three pedestrians and killing one man on Melbourne’s busiest street.

Off-duty police on a busy footy finals Friday night swooped on a 26-year-old Melton West man after his car ploughed into a tram stop in Bourke St.

In a frightening echo of the 2017 Bourke St rampage that left six people dead, the white car slammed into another vehicle ­at 6pm before hitting the pedestrians. Witnesses said it was driven by a man who appeared to be ­behaving erratically.

The driver of the Mazda struck by the white Toyota Aurion was a 37-year-old man from Diggers Rest and passenger, 30-year-old man both remain in hospital with minor injuries.

The three pedestrians allegedly mowed down by the 26-year-old Melton West man were a 26-year-old man from Kew, a 23-year-old woman from China who were taken to hospital in a stable condition, while a 35-year-old woman from Docklands is in a serious condition.

The incident comes after ­safety bollards were installed in the CBD to protect pedestrians following the 2017 Bourke Street massacre. James Gargasoulas was jailed for life after that incident in which he struck people while driving down Swanston Street and Bourke Street Mall.

At a press conference at 9pm, Superintendent Zorka Dunstan said the driver of the car was ­undergoing a mental health ­assessment and initial inquiries indicated the incident was not ­terror related. “The good thing was we had a quick arrest. At this stage there are no terrorist links and it is a person with mental health issues,” Superintendent Dunstan said.

The dead person is believed to have been in a car struck by the white vehicle. One of the injured was believed to have been a passenger in the vehicle.

Onlookers raced to treat the injured as police arrested the man. He appeared to struggle as officers took him into custody. A witness said the driver sat on the roof of the car for about a minute before police moved in.

“People were angry at him, spitting on him,” a witness said.

In an earlier statement, police said: “It’s understood a vehicle has struck several pedestrians before colliding with two vehicles near Russell and Bourke Street … the driver of the vehicle was arrested at the scene and is in custody. There is no ongoing threat to the community.”

Footage posted on social media showed pedestrians lying injured along tram tracks near Bourke Street Mall, at the intersection with Russell St.

The driver is led away by police following the crash on Friday evening in Bourke Street, Melbourne.

Witnesses said the car travelled down the tracks before striking people and other cars.

The Herald Sun reported that police believed the driver ­may have been drug affected.

One man who had been drinking in a nearby pub when the collisions occurred said: “I thought it was a bomb.”

A friend with him added: “It sounded like a bloody big crunch.”

An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said five people had been assessed by emergency services. One person was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, two others to The Alfred hospital in a stable condition, and a fourth to St Vincent’s Hospital.

Pam, a witness who declined to give her surname, said she had just left work when she saw the driver on the roof of his car. “He had a menacing look,” she said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I was working when the previous incident occurred – it’s terrifying to think this can happen again.”

Wrecked cars at the tram stop. Picture: Facebook

Onlookers gathered behind police tape as firefighters and officers assessed the scene. Sand was scattered on the ground and a sheet was spread over one car, which had mounted the kerb.

One vehicle with extensive damage came to a stop in front of packed restaurants, including White Tomato and Momo Central. The manager of the Udon Izakaya Maedaya restaurant said he had customers lining up outside when the collision occurred just metres from them.

Diners inside his Japanese ­restaurant were minutes later asked to leave the premises by police. Many had already done so.

“Even the customers eating inside were asked to leave,” the manager said.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews took to social media to share, on behalf of the state, his thoughts for the deceased and their family following the serious collision.

“I’ve just spoken with the Chief Commissioner about the serious incident in the CBD tonight,” Mr Andrews said.

“Tragically, one person has lost their life and five others are injured – I know all Victorians are thinking of them and their families tonight.”

He reiterated statements made by police confirming there was no “ongoing threat to the public” but suggested Melburnians stay away from the area.

“My thanks to all the first responders who have been on the scene tonight and to the ordinary people who stopped to help,” he said.

Additional reporting: Tayla Couacaud