Attempted murder charges after car ploughs into eight pedestrians on Sunshine Coast

Attempted murder charges have been laid against the man accused of ploughing his car into eight pedestrians overnight, leaving two with life-threatening injuries.

A white Toyota Yaris hatchback allegedly struck the group near the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Aerodrome Road at Maroochydore just before midnight on Saturday.

The 38-year-old driver fled the scene but was tracked by police to a property on Alexandra Parade – which runs about 1500 metres along the beachfront – a short time later.

On Sunday afternoon police confirmed he had been charged with eight counts of attempted murder. The man was scheduled to appear at Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday.

A 23-year-old woman from New South Wales was taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital with critical injuries immediately after the crash, before being airlifted to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

A male teenager suffered potentially life-threatening head injuries and was also taken to the Sunshine Coast hospital with two others, who were in a stable condition.

Police are investigating the crash and appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

The strip of Aerodrome Road is a commercial hub, with a Chemist Warehouse, BWS bottle shop, Rip Curl surf shop and a 7-Eleven.

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