Victoria

Witness to Bourke Street horror tells of seeing toddler in 'pink, puffy jacket'

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A witness has spoken of her despair when she realised a toddler was among the injured on Friday when a man drove his car into afternoon crowds in Melbourne's CBD.

Four people are dead, including a young child, and at least 25 have been hospitalised after a car ploughed through pedestrians in Bourke Street.  

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CBD chaos: how it unfolded

UPDATED: four people, including a young child, are dead and five are fighting for life after a speeding car ploughed into pedestrians in the middle of Melbourne's CBD. Vision courtesy Seven News Melbourne.

Samantha Welsh was on her way back to work after lunch when she ran into a colleague at the corner of Bourke and William streets.

"I stood there and chatted to him for about five minutes and my co-worker noticed something and turned and screamed, 'run'," Ms Welsh said.

"I turned not knowing what was going on. Then everybody around me started running."

Ms Welsh said she ran without really knowing what was going on.

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"I just ran down Bourke Street, which was actually the wrong choice because I was running alongside the car," she said.

Then she heard someone scream, "he is on the footpath".

Ms Welsh started running along the kerb – a decision that saved her life.

"I ran on the side near the road …near the kerb … if I didn't run on that side, I would definitely been hit," she said.

"I saw the car pass me, then I thought I saw people in front … Only once the car went over then I could see the baby.

"I turned and I saw the baby in a pink, puffy jacket," she said.

Ms Welsh said she heard gunshots and ran back towards William Street and hid in a cafe.

"I owe my co-worker my life," she said.

"Without him telling me to run, I would be dead."