Melbourne car attack victim dies

Melbourne: An elderly man has died after being mowed down during a car rampage in Melbourne last week, police said on Saturday, with one of 18 attempted murder charges expected to be upgraded to murder. Afghan-Australian Saeed Noori, who has a history of drug abuse and mental problems, is accused of ploughing his car through a busy intersection earlier this month, careering into tourists and shoppers. He has been charged with 18 counts of attempted murder, but now faces at least one murder charge after 83-year-old Antonios Crocaris, an Australian national, died from his injuries late on Friday.

Six others remain in hospital. “A man has died following an incident on Flinders Street on December 21 where a number of pedestrians were struck by a vehicle,” Victoria state police said. “Homicide squad detectives are expected to upgrade one of those charges to murder.” Nine foreigners were among those hurt, including from South Korea, China, Italy, India, Venezuela, Ireland and New Zealand. The incident came less than a year after a car rammed into pedestrians in Melbourne’s busiest mall, killing six people. That driver, whose case is still before the courts, also had a history of drug issues. — AFP