Emergency services were called to the corner of Keilor and Hoffmans roads in Niddrie about 9:20am, after a silver Alfa Romeo slammed into the Essendon Health Medical Centre.

CCTV from a nearby business appears to show the vehicle narrowly avoiding oncoming traffic before mounting the footpath and crossing the intersection at high speed.

Detective Inspector Craig McEvoy from the Major Collision Investigation Unit said the male pedestrian, who has not yet been identified, died at the scene.

“We believe he was walking directly in front of the medical centre, between the tram stop and the sign visible in the footage,” he said.

A woman in her early 50s from Roxburgh Park, who was attending an appointment at the clinic, was also hit by the vehicle and airlifted to Royal Melbourne Hospital.
“She is receiving treatment and is currently in a stable condition,” Inspector McEvoy said.

The driver, a 63-year-old man from Maribyrnong, sustained minor injuries. He was taken to hospital and later interviewed by police before being released pending further inquiries.

Investigators believe the car was travelling north on Hoffmans Road before it veered into the building. Inspector McEvoy said it was extremely fortunate that no staff or additional patients were injured, given the car came to rest around 30 metres inside the centre.

The crash caused a large section of the glass exterior wall to collapse.

Inspector McEvoy said police will reconstruct the scene as part of efforts to determine what happened.
“At this stage, we’re considering all possibilities — whether it was a medical episode, mechanical failure, driver error, speed, fatigue, or drugs and alcohol,” he said.