Two students hospitalised after being hit by a car in Canberra

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Two school children are in hospital tonight with serious injuries after allegedly being hit by a stolen car outside a private school in Canberra. The man police believe was behind the wheel is in custody as investigations continue.

Transcript

00:00A confronting start to the school day.

00:04Two St Edmunds school boys aged 14 and 15 years old left seriously injured after allegedly

00:10being hit by a stolen car.

00:12This is a tragedy.

00:13Our thoughts and hearts go out to the boys, the families of those boys and also the wider

00:18St Edmunds community.

00:20New South Wales police believe the driver's spree began around 7.40 this morning at a

00:24childcare centre in Sutton, north east of Canberra.

00:28It's alleged a 31-year-old man opportunistically stole a car with an 8-year-old girl still

00:33inside.

00:34Police say the man let the child out 100 metres down the road before driving erratically towards

00:40the ACT and hitting other vehicles.

00:42ACT police say they deployed road spikes to stop the car but had no success.

00:48Just after 9am investigators say the car struck the children in front of the school.

00:53It's alleged the driver continued along Canberra Avenue for more than a kilometre until he

00:57crashed into another car in front of St Christopher's Cathedral in Forest.

01:02Just this morning I heard a loud bang and sort of walked over there and a bit of commotion.

01:11That's when police allege the man tried to flee on foot before nearby workers detained

01:16him.

01:17Saw these tradies chase this fella down the road and they jumped on him, grabbed him and

01:21then the police came in and handcuffed him and took him away.

01:24It's amazing isn't it?

01:26That people can respond like that, to put themselves in harm's way.

01:30Cordoned off with police tape, parts of Canberra Avenue remained a crime scene for most of

01:34the day as detectives scoured the scene for evidence between the two sites.

01:39The two boys were taken to Canberra Hospital where they've undergone surgery.

01:43The 31-year-old driver also received medical treatment and is under police guard.

01:47He's yet to be formally charged and is expected to face court tomorrow.

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