A vehicle plowed into a busy sidewalk in the Australian city of Melbourne on Thursday, injuring at least 19 people, authorities said. The driver and another man have been arrested.

Police said it was a "deliberate act," but that there was no evidence at this time that the incident is linked to terrorism. One of the victims was a preschool-age child, Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper reported.

Commander Russell Barrett of Victoria Police told a news conference that several of the injured were in critical condition. He said the motive for the attack wasn't yet known.

The vehicle hit a number of people at one of the city's busiest intersections in front of Flinders Street Station just after 4:30 p.m. local time.

Sky News Australia reported the driver of the white Suzuki SUV was wrestled to the ground and handcuffed after his vehicle crashed into a bollard by a cable car stop.

A 32-year-old man who is known to police and has a history of drug use and mental illness has been taken to a hospital under police guard, the Herald Sun reported. The newspaper named him as Saeed Noori, an Afghan-Australian.

Witnesses told Sky News the car ran a red light, accelerated and hit the pedestrians in an area with a 25-mph speed limit.

"A number of people were treated at the scene for a range of injuries and have been transported to hospital." Victoria Police said in a statement.

While police had earlier said 14 people had been injured, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed that 19 people had been taken to hospitals. Four listed in critical condition are believed to include the young child, Australian media reported.

Andrews described the incident as “an act of evil and an act of cowardice, perpetrated against innocent bystanders.”

Witnesses described a horrific scene.

“I was crossing Flinders Street on the way to the train station. I heard an engine rev behind me and heard a thump,” one man identified only as David said on ABC TV. He said he turned around saw “people literally getting thrown into the air as it hit them.”

Contributing: The Associated Press