Sixth person dies after car hits pedestrians in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia – A sixth person died in hospital 10 days after a man with a history of mental health and drug issues drove a car through a lunch-time crowd in a pedestrian-only street in Australia’s second largest city, police said on Monday.

A 33-year-old woman died on Monday night and nine victims remained in hospital after a stolen sedan caused havoc in downtown Melbourne on Jan. 20, a police statement said. One of the patients was in a critical condition.

The driver, Dimitrious Gargasoulas, 26, has been charged with five counts of murder and faces a life prison sentence if convicted. He had more charges pending, police said.

The tragedy comes amid global concern over extremists using vehicles to strike crowds, following truck attacks in Berlin and Nice, France, last year. Police said the Bourke Street incident had no links to terrorism.