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'Smacking the brakes': Man shoved by car that ploughed into Sydney shop speaks out

A man whose car was shoved out of the way before another vehicle smashed into a women’s clothing shop has spoken out on how the terrifying incident unfolded.

Onlookers filmed as smoke erupted from the wheels of a white and red car stopped at traffic lights on Boronia Road, in Sydney’s southwest suburb of Greenacre, about 3.10pm on Thursday.

The white vehicle was eventually budged out of the way and the red car sped through the intersection and smashed into a retailer named Hijab House, injuring 11 shoppers and the driver.

“I was honking on the horn and smacking the brakes...then I couldn’t do anything more, he (the other driver) just went off,” the driver of the white care told Nine News.

This man was driving the car shoved out the way by the vehicle that ploughed into Hijab House. Source: Nine News
This man was driving the car shoved out the way by the vehicle that ploughed into Hijab House. Source: Nine News

“All of a sudden I saw this car come out of nowhere and hit other cars and then I get hit from the back,” he told the Seven Network.

“I locked my brakes and he just kept pushing and pushing. Then all of a sudden I ended up on that side of the road ... and he ends up in the shop.”

In several clips of the event shared to social media, the driver of the red car appeared still and emotionless behind the wheel as the car ploughed into the store.

Assistant Commissioner Peter Thurtell told the network it was “quite clear he was pushing the vehicle in front of him quite hard in order to smoke the tyres like that.”

The back tyres smoked as the driver pumped his brakes. Source: Nine News
The back tyres smoked as the driver pumped his brakes. Source: Nine News

“But what has caused that to happen I can’t say,” he said.

The 51-year-old, who is being treated at Liverpool Hospital while under police guard, is known to authorities due to previous traffic offences.

“He's only been briefly spoken to, he's yet to be interview by detectives and crash investigators,” Mr Thurtell said on Thursday evening.

“I am aware he has some traffic matters. I'm unable to comment on any medical episode. There's no information that's been given to me that there's been any medical episode.”

After nudging the white car away, the vehicle sped across the intersection into Hijab House. Source: Nine News
After nudging the white car away, the vehicle sped across the intersection into Hijab House. Source: Nine News

Eight women and four men, including the driver, were injured in the incident, with at lease one of the victims suffering serious injuries.

Two people with suspected broken legs were carried out of the smashed shop, and all victims remain in stable conditions, NSW Ambulance Acting Inspector Caitlyn Murphy said.

“Our paramedics were met with a very chaotic scene. There was a large crowd of bystanders who were quite distressed,” she said.

NSW Police said there was no indication the crash was terror-related, and the reason for the crash remained under investigation.

with AAP

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