Two World War II veterans were last night in a critical condition after a vintage military truck crashed into a group marching in Melbourne's Anzac Day parade.
Six others were injured in an accident that onlookers described as horrific, with victims in their 70s and 80s dragged beneath the truck,
understood to be part of their unit and driven by another veteran believed to be in his 90s.
The men, members of the Ceylon Ex-Service Association, were marching in St Kilda Rd when the truck suddenly accelerated, running out of control and striking the veterans.
Two people were admitted to The Alfred and Royal Melbourne hospitals with critical injuries.
Four other marchers, the driver of the truck, and a man travelling in the back of the vehicle were also taken to hospital.
The ABC reported that four suffered serious abdominal, pelvic and leg injuries, and the others cuts and abrasions.
"We were marching and this truck came from nowhere and ran into them," said Warwick Meerwald, who was with the group.
Simon Warren said he was serving a customer at his art stall on St Kilda Rd when he heard "screaming and revving".
"It looked like it would plough through everyone but luckily it veered to the left and didn't keep going forward. Everyone was in shock and screaming."
Inspector Greg Doueal said police would test the truck to determine why it crashed. "Something happened inside the truck which caused it to cannon into the back of the marchers and hit six people," he said.
Michael Ibrahim said he heard the accelerator revving and looked up and saw the truck accelerate from walking pace to up to 10k/mh.
He said he saw bodies strewn across the tram tracks. "Either [the driver] has hit the accelerator or the accelerator has jammed on him. The poor [driver] freaked out.
"He was holding his head. He knew what he had done. I think he [fell] to the ground.
"There were bodies everywhere. Just all on the ground.
A veteran marching with the victims told the Herald Sun he heard very loud revving before the accident and yelled "move, move, move", but it was too late.
