At least six people have reportedly been injured after a man allegedly went on a stabbing rampage with a “box cutter” after leaving a car on a busy highway in Sydney, Australia.
According to local broadcaster 9News, the 58-year-old suspect allegedly attacked his partner and then attacked four others including a police officer on a main road south of Sydney, before apparently inflicting wounds on himself.
New South Wales Police said officers and emergency services responded after reports of a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Princes Highway and Old Bush Road at about 9am local time today.
The force said in a statement: “Officers attached to Sutherland Shire Police Area Command arrived to find a man, who appeared to be suffering stab wounds, allegedly running from the crash scene. He was taken into custody with the deployment of a Taser.
“A male police officer suffered a serious laceration to his left wrist believed to have been incurred during the arrest. A woman, understood to be a passenger in the crashed vehicle, has been found also suffering multiple wounds.
“A fourth person has been found injured. It’s unclear at this time what that person’s involvement is in this incident.”
Local media reported in total six people were injured, with four having suffered stab wounds.
Superintendent Don Faulds told a press conference when officers first arrived at the scene, they thought they were going to be helping people in a car crash, but were suddenly faced with a man with a “box cutter” knife.
He said: “They’ve just turned up thinking it was just a normal motor vehicle accident, so they’ve obviously gone to render assistance to both people, and then they were faced with a male with a box cutter, quite frightening, but very, very brave on those people’s behalf.”
Australia has been rocked by knife rampage sprees in recent years, with the most recent shocking attack on April 13 when a lone man stabbed and killed five women and one man at the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre.
Reacting to this latest worrying incident, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese posted on X: “The incident that occurred in Engadine this morning was shocking and distressing.
“We’re thinking of all those who were injured and hoping for their quick recovery. Thank you to all the first responders and brave members of the public who helped at the scene.”