An Irishman on a working visa has told of the sheer carnage he witnessed in Melbourne after an SUV ploughed into pedestrians leaving 14 injured and four others fighting for life.
Demolition worker Paul Cahalane, 25, was walking to the gym – and en route to picking up some chocolate milk – via Flinders Street when he heard what sounded like a bomb.
‘I was just going to get chocolate milk and I had my headphones in, music playing, scrolling Instagram when I just heard a bang, a bang behind me,’ Mr Cahalane said.
Irishman Paul Cahalane has told of the sheer carnage he witnessed in Melbourne after an SUV ploughed into pedestrians leaving 17 injured and two others fighting for life
![Ordinary people rushed to help the victims but Mr Cahalane said there was not much he could do as he did not want to cause more harm](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/21/12/477E9ECD00000578-5201769-Ordinary_people_rushed_to_help_the_victims_but_Mr_Cahalane_said_-a-19_1513858293082.jpg)
Ordinary people rushed to help the victims but Mr Cahalane said there was not much he could do as he did not want to cause more harm
![It is beleived 19 pedestrians, including a toddler, were injured after the car ploughed into rush hour crowds](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/21/12/477E9F9100000578-5201769-It_is_beleived_19_pedestrians_including_a_toddler_were_injured_a-a-17_1513858292847.jpg)
It is beleived 19 pedestrians, including a toddler, were injured after the car ploughed into rush hour crowds
‘[It was] a thud, just a solid thud. I really took my headphones out… [there was] screaming, people running everywhere.’
He said he saw people scattered all over the road, including a middle-aged woman of Asian appearance covered in blood.
‘I didn’t even run. I was just in shock. I was just like, what’s happened,’ he said. ‘The first thing I heard – someone’s shouted ”bomb” … [there was] just screaming.
‘I was just shocked, stood there, there wasn’t much to be done’.
![Mr Cahalane, 25, was walking to the gym - and en route to picking up some chocolate milk - via Flinders Street when he heard what sounded like a bomb](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/21/11/477F0AC200000578-5201769-image-a-3_1513855533916.jpg)
Mr Cahalane, 25, was walking to the gym – and en route to picking up some chocolate milk – via Flinders Street when he heard what sounded like a bomb
![Police and emergency services attend to the scene of the incident involving a vehicle on Flinders Street](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/21/11/477EE55600000578-5201769-image-a-4_1513855592415.jpg)
Police and emergency services attend to the scene of the incident involving a vehicle on Flinders Street
![A damaged vehicle is seen at the scene of an incident on Flinders Street in Melbourne on Thursday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/21/12/477ECC4000000578-5201769-A_damaged_vehicle_is_seen_at_the_scene_of_an_incident_on_Flinder-a-18_1513858292862.jpg)
A damaged vehicle is seen at the scene of an incident on Flinders Street in Melbourne on Thursday
Ordinary people rushed to help the victims but Mr Cahalane said there was not much he could do as he did not want to cause more harm.
‘I was a lifeguard a few years ago. You try to cater for someone that’s injured you can do more damage than good,’ he said.
He remembered seeing the smashed front windscreen of the car, air bags having burst open and a man in a dirty white T-shirt being wrestled to the ground.
Mr Cahalane estimated within 75 seconds police and emergency services were converging on the site from all over the city.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/21/12/477EA13300000578-5201769-image-a-23_1513858293434.jpg)
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/21/12/477EA14E00000578-5201769-image-a-25_1513858293643.jpg)
Emergency services attend to injured people near Flinders Street station in Melbourne
!['I was a lifeguard a few years ago. You try to cater for someone that's injured you can do more damage than good,' Mr Cahalane said](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/21/12/477F2E7000000578-5201769-_I_was_a_lifeguard_a_few_years_ago_You_try_to_cater_for_someone_-a-20_1513858293229.jpg)
‘I was a lifeguard a few years ago. You try to cater for someone that’s injured you can do more damage than good,’ Mr Cahalane said
![Chaotic scenes unfolded as the white SUV crashed into the group of panicked commuters and shoppers at the corner of Melbourne's Elizabeth Street and Flinders Street at 4.41pm on Thursday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/21/12/477EA9EB00000578-5201769-Chaotic_scenes_unfolded_as_the_white_SUV_crashed_into_the_group_-a-50_1513859601369.jpg)
Chaotic scenes unfolded as the white SUV crashed into the group of panicked commuters and shoppers at the corner of Melbourne’s Elizabeth Street and Flinders Street at 4.41pm on Thursday
‘I’ve never seen such a fast response in regards to emergency services,’ he said.
Police started ushering witnesses away. He said he rang family and spoke to his boss in the immediate aftermath and then went to the city’s Dohertys 247 Gym to work out.
Standing outside the gym, Mr Cahalane said he was on a working visa.
The 32-year-old driver was arrested by an off duty police officer at the scene and was taken to hospital after resisting arrest.
He is an Australian citizen of Afghan descent who is known to police following a 2010 minor assault matter, with a history of drug use and mental health issues.
![Standing outside a Melbourne gym, Mr Cahalane (pictrued) said he was on a working visa](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/21/12/477F2E6800000578-5201769-Standing_outside_a_Melbourne_gym_Mr_Cahalane_pictrued_said_he_wa-a-53_1513859602727.jpg)
Standing outside a Melbourne gym, Mr Cahalane (pictrued) said he was on a working visa
![Police and emergency personnel cordon off the street as they work at the scene on Thursday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/21/12/477EC39400000578-5201769-Police_and_emergency_personnel_cordon_off_the_street_as_they_wor-a-52_1513859601403.jpg)
Police and emergency personnel cordon off the street as they work at the scene on Thursday
!['I've never seen such a fast response in regards to emergency services,' Mr Cahalane said](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/21/12/477ED2DA00000578-5201769-_I_ve_never_seen_such_a_fast_response_in_regards_to_emergency_se-a-51_1513859601386.jpg)
‘I’ve never seen such a fast response in regards to emergency services,’ Mr Cahalane said