Three dead, at least 15 hurt after car plows crowd in Australia

Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Three people died and at least 15 people were injured when police said it appeared a man intentionally swerved a vehicle through a busy shopping area in Melbourne early Friday afternoon.

Police said the incident does not appear to be terrorism-related, believing it may be linked to a stabbing earlier Friday in Melbourne.

"It's not been a nice day," said Tamarah Inglis, a pedestrian who was walking along Bourke Street when the car turned into a crowd and a stampede started toward her. "I think we are all still in shock as to what happened."

Police said the man was doing burnouts on the corner of nearby Flinders Street and Swanston Street, yelling at pedestrians before driving north on Swanston to Bourke Street. The man erratically sped down Bourke before hopping a curb and driving straight through the crowded sidewalk.

Pedestrians at the mall said they saw people bouncing off the hood of a car as the driver barreled through the crowd.

Onlookers said they heard gunshots -- police reportedly were shooting at the car as it sped down the street -- before it crashed into a building. The driver, naked except for a pair of red underwear, was arrested by police who swarmed the vehicle when it came to a stop.

"It is very difficult to believe that these sorts of things can happen right in front of you in the middle of our city," Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said of the tragedy. "Spare a thought particularly for those families -- the loved ones of those affected -- and let's try and take care of each other."