Six people were being treated in three Dublin hospitals on Tuesday night after a driver mounted a footpath in the city centre and hit five pedestrians.

The rush-hour collision occurred near the junction of Adelaide Road and Earlsfort Terrace in the south inner city at about 6.15pm. It ended with the Saab vehicle involved coming to rest on its side in the middle of Adelaide road.

There were concerns on Tuesday night over the extent of the injuries suffered by two of the five hospitalised pedestrians.

Gardaí said the incident was not a hit and run and they also ruled out any link to terrorist activity.

Sources said that while the driver and the five pedestrians were taken to hospital, the brunt of the impact was taken by two of the pedestrians. There was “particular concern” over the condition of those two victims, a source added.

The automatic car involved, with a wheelchair in the rear, was travelling towards the South Circular Road when it appeared to go out of control.

It mounted the pavement, hitting pedestrians, concrete pillars and other street furniture.

The large automatic vehicle then went back out onto the road where it came to rest on its side.

Ambulance fleet

The emergency services were contacted and a fleet of ambulances came to assist the injured people.

Paramedics administered emergency care to the injured at the scene before they were taken for further treatment to Tallaght Hospital, St James’s Hospital and St Vincent’s Hospital.

Garda sources said the reason why the car mounted the pavement, apparently at some speed, would not become clear until the driver was well enough to be spoken to.

Gardaí preserve the scene at Adelaide Road, Dublin, where an upturned car that was in collision with pedestrians is visible. Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

A number of roads in the surrounding area were sealed off to the public immediately after the incident and Garda crash scene investigators were examining the area on Tuesday night.

The vehicle involved was also set to undergo extensive analysis to examine whether any kind of mechanical failure contributed to the collision.

In the immediate aftermath of the crash, images of the scene were posted and spreading on social media with speculation it may have been a terrorist incident.

Many European cities have witnessed so-called low-cost Isis attacks in which vehicles have been driven into crowds, most recently Barcelona. However, Garda sources were quick to rule out any link to terrorism in this case.