A Brazilian tourist is behind bars after allegedly mowing down eight pedestrians in a horrific hit-and-run on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
Guilherme Dal Bo, 38, who also has Italian citizenship, was charged with eight counts of attempted murder and faced Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday where his case was adjourned until Friday after police said one of the charges may be upgraded.
Queensland Police alleged Dal Bo had a minor altercation with a group of male pedestrians while driving a white Toyota Yaris in Maroochydore on Saturday night before allegedly turning back and driving into the six men and two other women who were walking nearby, the Australian Associated Press reported.
One of the women, a 24-year-old from NSW who was visiting family, is fighting for life at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, and three of the men were taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Dal Bo allegedly fled the scene, and officers found his car nearby before tracking him down to his unit a short time later.
Detective Acting Inspector Peter Hocken said on Sunday the initial altercation was “minor in nature” and “just a traffic incident”, Newswire reported.
“The males were crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing, and the male driver took offence to that and got out and challenged the males,” he said, and alleged the driver then deliberately mounted the kerb and ploughed into all eight pedestrians.
Inspector Hocken added the women were unknown to the men, and “just happened to be walking the sidewalk at that time”.
“They were minding their own business and have observed that vehicle come back. They managed to get out of the way … unfortunately the female from NSW was struck,” he said.
“This is a tragedy, it’s terrible what’s happened to this poor woman and her family before Christmas. It’s inconceivable.”
Header image: The Yaris allegedly driving into the group outside a boat shop (9News).
