A 16-year-old boy has been charged after allegedly striking a woman with a stolen car while driving erratically through Melbourne’s city centre.
Police allege the teenager was driving along the tram tracks on Flinders Street at about 10.45am on Sunday when he hit a 57-year-old woman standing at the intersection with Elizabeth Street.
The woman was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The incident occurred near the route of the Melbourne Marathon, which was being attended by thousands of people.
Investigators allege the boy then performed a U-turn outside Flinders Street Station, where police and protective services officers on patrol drew their firearms.
The vehicle continued along Flinders Lane, allegedly hitting several parked cars. None of those vehicles was occupied.
The teenager, who is from the Greater Dandenong area, was later arrested at Albert Park.
Police said the incident was not terrorism-related and was not a targeted attack. They allege the boy had been driving a Ford Escape stolen from a business in Cranbourne South early on Sunday.
He faces charges including reckless conduct, driving in a dangerous manner and theft of a motor vehicle. The teenager was remanded in custody and is due to appear at a children’s court later on Monday.
