A pedestrian is fighting for his life after being hit by a car in Melbourne’s CBD this morning.
The woman was hit by a car, which was driving back down Flinders Street near Highlander Lane, around 9:30 a.m. and was fatally injured.
Police arrested the driver of the vehicle, a 33-year-old Caulfield man, at the scene.
The driver of a Mazda CX-5 allegedly drove back down Flinders Street and hit a pedestrian on the CBD. Flinders Street (New) is closed eastbound between King and William Streets due to the incident. (new)
He remains under arrest and is assisting the police with his investigations.
Detective Sergeant Peter Romanis says police are investigating why the driver drove back about 30 meters down the busy road before colliding with the pedestrian.
“The driver of a Mazda CX-5 was driving back down Flinders Street and hit a pedestrian crossing the road,” he said.
“It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.
“We haven’t been able to figure out why. Hopefully it can shed some light on that.”
Detective Sergeant Peter Romanis says police are investigating why a driver drove back down Flinders Street. (New) The driver of a Mazda CX-5 is still under arrest and is assisting the police with his investigations. (new)
There have been 17 pedestrian deaths in Victoria since the beginning of the year and Romanis asked drivers to pay attention.
“It’s worrying that we’re seeing an upward trend in pedestrian deaths,” he said.
“We urge all road users to be vigilant, to take care of each other and for motorists to pay attention to all pedestrians.”
Flinders Street is closed eastbound between King and William Streets due to the incident.
Tram services on routes 70 and 75 have resumed normal service, after a brief interruption.
The pedestrian has been taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital, where he is in critical condition.
Witnesses or anyone with camera footage of the incident are asked to contact police.