Third person in Derby car incident released from hospital

A third person has been discharged from hospital after they were among seven pedestrians hit by a car in Derby city centre.

Detectives have been given more time to question a man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the car injured the group in Friar Gate at about 21:30 GMT on Saturday.

In an update at 16:20 BST on Monday, police revealed that four men and three women aged between 36 and 52 all suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries during the incident. Four remain in hospital.

Derbyshire Police said it was continuing to question a 36-year-old Derby man, who was originally from India, after being given extra time until Tuesday evening to hold him in custody.

Claire Ward, mayor of the East Midlands, has called for local communities and agencies to do "all we can" to support people affected.

The force said a black Suzuki Swift was driven into pedestrians in Friar Gate on Saturday evening.

Counter-terrorism police have joined the investigation but the Derbyshire force said this was "common practice for an incident of this nature" and officers were "keeping an open mind about the potential motives".

The suspect is also being held on suspicion of causing serious injury through dangerous driving, inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and dangerous driving.

The incident is not currently being treated as terrorism and police said there was no ongoing risk to the public.

Ch Supt Emma Aldred said: "I'd like to reiterate my well wishes to all the victims in this case as they begin their recovery supported by specialist officers.

"I also want to thank the eyewitnesses whose reports allowed us to make an arrest just minutes after this incident happened.

"The response to this incident was a multi-agency one and we are continuing to work closely with partners and local businesses. I'd like to thank them for all of their support."

Dharma Mundell, who was working in a corner shop near to where the incident happened, told the BBC on Monday she heard a crash on Saturday night and saw people lying in the street.

"I was serving a customer, and we literally heard like a crash-bang sound, and then a bunch of screaming. That's when I came outside and seen a bunch of people on the floor.

"It's kind of scary, especially when it's literally the same street I work on, but it just makes me feel unsafe to go out drinking, I guess.

"It doesn't seem like a safe place to be."

Speaking on Radio 4 on Monday morning, Ward said two of the seven people who suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries had been released to recover at home, with "hopefully more soon".

"This is a serious but isolated incident. I know that for those not just involved who were injured on the evening, but who were around the city centre and had first-hand experience of what happened, this will be a really frightening time.

"The city itself, and all our agencies, will want to do all it can to support people at this difficult time.

"We know the repercussions of violent acts like this don't end just in that moment.

"There will be real upset and trauma for many people who witnessed what happened on the night as well, of course, as those victims who were directly impacted, but we understand that there were no fatalities and that two people have already been discharged from hospital and more we hope, soon."

Speaking on BBC Radio Derby on Monday, Marc O'Dwyer, owner of O'Dwyers bar on Friar Gate, said the area was "eerie" when he went there on Sunday morning.

"It was very surreal to be there," he said.

"It's usually a very busy lively area with businesses preparing to open for Sunday trade.

"It just felt very different. It was a lot quieter - very eerie.

"It was just a bit of a shock seeing it like that and it just brought home what happened and the seriousness of it."

A police cordon remained in place in Friar Gate until Sunday afternoon, while forensic investigations took place.

Inside the cordon, debris, including shoes and clothing, littered the road and forensic officers in white suits were walking along the street taking pictures.

By Monday morning, the area, which is mostly populated by restaurants and bars, had returned to normal.

Baggy Shanker, MP for Derby South, said he found the incident "deeply shocking".

"It's shaken a lot of people," he said.

"It's just something we never expect here in Derby.

"My immediate thoughts were around the victims, and all those people that would have seen this and witnessed it, and their families who must have been worried at that time.

"It would have been shocking and scary for everybody involved who were there at that time."

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