A pedestrian died after being hit by a car that was allegedly being driven erratically by a knife-wielding man who had two young children in his vehicle.
Western Australian Police received reports of a man driving a silver Holden Commodore erratically in Bayswater, east of Perth, about 11am on Tuesday.
The commodore collided with a Ford Ranger and sped away before allegedly running over a 52-year-old man a short time later on Rose Avenue.
The seriously injured pedestrian was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital, where he died a short time later.
Police arrested the driver near the scene of the fatal crash a short time later after he allegedly crashed into a traffic light.
Two small children were found in the back seat and were unharmed.
A man in his 30s is currently in police custody and is undergoing a medical examination. No charges have been filed yet.
WA Police Inspector Jason Van Der Ende told media the driver was allegedly involved in a series of alarming incidents leading up to the fatal collision.
Witnesses reported seeing a man allegedly armed with a knife stopping traffic and acting erratically in east Perth on Tuesday.
A man has died after he was hit by a Holden Commodore in Bayswater. The driver was arrested shortly after after allegedly crashing into a traffic light.
The knife-wielding driver allegedly slashed the tires of another vehicle and threatened to kill witnesses.
“It is believed the driver of the silver Commodore was seen acting erratically in the area, potentially armed with a knife,” he said.
“This is a traumatic incident for everyone involved, but I want to assure the community that we have the incident completely contained.”
Major Crimes Division detectives are still piecing together the timeline of events leading up to the death.
Witnesses reported seeing a man violently intimidating drivers in a chaotic episode on the streets of Perth on Tuesday morning.
A witness told how the man targeted a Ford Ranger, cutting all four tires while its driver took refuge inside.
“The guy in the silver Commodore came out with a machete and started threatening to kill him,” the witness said. 7News.
A man in his 30s is currently in police custody and is undergoing a medical examination.
A man was arrested and two children were left in the back seat of a crashed sedan
Witnesses reported seeing the man threaten drivers and yell incoherently in the street.
He is hitting the driver’s window with the machete. He turned around and stabbed all four tires so he couldn’t leave.
Nearby merchants reportedly armed themselves with bricks to protect themselves from the driver.
Another witness claimed the man also stopped traffic on Skew Road, allegedly blocking vehicles with his car before confronting drivers.
“He stopped me and another car while driving straight towards the car in front of me, luckily they stopped before he hit them,” she said. WAtoday.
“Then he came out, screaming and hitting our cars, screaming that he was going to run us over.”
The witness said the driver seemed agitated and confused.
“He was yelling things like, ‘I’m looking for my dad, where is he?’ “It was very scary.”
Authorities are urging anyone with information or dash cam footage of the incident to come forward as investigations continue.