Australian driver of Afghan descent with mental illness crashed with car into Australian crowd injuring 19 people

An Australian man of Afghan descent with a history of mental illness injured 19 people when he drove an SUV into a crowd of Christmas shoppers in Melbourne, but police said Thursday there was no evidence of a link to terrorism.

The crash was considered to be deliberate, according to acting chief commissioner of Victoria police Shane Patton, CNN reported.

A man seen filming the incident was collared after a search revealed that he had several knives, but Patton said there did not appear to be a link between him and the suspect.

Witnesses said the white Suzuki didn’t appear to brake as it barreled past Melbourne’s Flinders Street station and crashed into a tram stop about 4:40 p.m. local time Thursday, The Washington Post reported.

An off-duty cop caught the driver and held him until police arrived, suffering injuries in the struggle.

Dramatic video captured the unidentified driver being dragged out of the badly damaged vehicle as first responders tended to the injured lying nearby.

Authorities said the suspect had a history of drug use and mental health issues and was known to police for traffic offenses and a minor assault in 2010.

He was hospitalized after the crash and it will be determined when police will be able to interview him.

“All you could hear was bang, bang, bang, bang,” Jim Stoupas, the owner of a nearby doughnut shop, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “The only thing that slowed him down was hitting pedestrians. All you could hear were the sounds of the car hitting people and the screams.”

Victoria state Prime Minister Daniel Andrews said in a press conference: “What has occurred on Flinders Street was an act of evil and act of cowardice at a time of a year when people should be out celebrating and doing their Christmas shopping.”

He said 19 people were hospitalized, with four in critical condition.

Source: NY Post