A man charged with five counts of attempted murder is alleged to have driven through a pedestrian crossing – striking multiple people who suffered injuries including broken facial bones and a broken pelvis, a court heard.
Somalia-born Ahmed Timir, 34, approached a signal controlled pedestrian crossing on Ealing Broadway, Ealing, west London, in a white Seat Leon on Saturday, when the traffic light was red and a large number of pedestrians were lawfully crossing, Kate Fassam-Wright, prosecuting, told Willesden Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
She said: “At this point the defendant accelerated, undertook stationary traffic on the near side and drove directly through the crossing into the pedestrians striking multiple individuals.”
Several victims were “projected into the air causing serious injuries including broken facial bones and a broken pelvis”, the court heard.
After the initial impact, the defendant is alleged to have continued driving and crashed with stationary traffic at a junction, including a Toyota Corolla and a Toyota Prius.
The defendant is alleged to have then driven away and a witness reported a white vehicle had collided with his car at the junction of Hanger Lane and Uxbridge Road.
The vehicle was stopped on Warwick Road.
Emergency services attended shortly after the incident and multiple casualties were treated.
The defendant was subsequently located and arrested later that day at an address, the prosecution said.
Timir, of Grange Park, Ealing, has also been charged with dangerous driving, two counts of failing to stop, failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis and three counts of criminal damage.
Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London conducted initial inquiries, but it is not being treated as terrorism.
The defendant, who was wearing a grey T-shirt and only spoke to confirm his identity, was remanded into custody by chair of the bench Caroline Walsh and told he will next appear at the Old Bailey on July 27.
