Driver 'suffering mental health episode' killed woman and injured mother and child in pram after 'deliberately' ploughing into pedestrians

Daily Mail​

05-05-2025

A woman has died and a mother and her baby were left injured after a driver allegedly suffering a mental health episode 'deliberately' mounted pavements and struck pedestrians in two separate incidents.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed a 49-year-old man was arrested after a black BMW was driven into people at two locations on Saturday afternoon.
He is being held on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, and a section 18 assault. Officers say the attack was not terror-related.
Emergency services were first called to Woodgate Avenue, near its junction with Bury Road, at around 2:30pm, after three people – including a 22-month-old girl in a pram – were hit by a car. The man behind the wheel did not stop and continued driving.
A couple told how they came to the aid of the woman who was injured in the first collision, after hearing her screams as she was struck by the BMW.
'It happened right outside our house,' the man said.
'It seems the car was deliberately driven at the woman. She was shouting, 'He did it on purpose' and 'He's trying to kill me'. She was really scared and in shock.'
He described how the BMW was then driven off along Bury Road before it struck a woman and a baby in a pram.
'I saw the pram get thrown into the air,' he said.
'The woman then came running down the road with her baby in her arms.'
He said the first woman was so 'terrified' of being hit by the BMW again he had to move her away from the road before the car was driven from the scene.
Elsie Blundell, MP for Heywood & Middleton North, shared an update from GMP after speaking with Chief Inspector Partington: 'On Saturday, a white male in a black BMW mounted the pavement at Woodgate Avenue and collided at two separate points along the road with a female pedestrian and a 22-month-old baby in a pram,' she said.
'The driver did not remain at the scene and continued to drive down to Whitworth Road – where he again mounted the pavement and collided with an adult female and then continued to drive, stopping at the nearby lights. The male was then detained, and the police arrested him for attempted murder and a section 18 assault.
'The adult female and 22-month-old sustained minor injuries and were kept in hospital overnight for treatment and observations. The adult female from Whitworth Road has tragically died in hospital.'
Blundell confirmed police believe the man was 'suffering from a mental health episode' and that the incident was 'due to a deterioration in his mental health.'
She added: 'It is not terrorism-related.'
The mother involved in the first collision took to Facebook to thank those who came to her aid: 'To those who helped me in the hit and run today — I am eternally grateful. I'm still in shock. My daughter is extremely lucky.
'She's had brain scans and thankfully, she's ok. Been very sick all day from concussion but getting there. Very battered and bruised. I can't fathom why someone would do something like this.
'She's been one brave girl. If she hadn't had been strapped in her pram it would have been a lot worse. Thank you again to all who helped.'
Assistant Chief Constable John Webster of GMP said: 'Firstly, our thoughts are with the family of the victim who has sadly lost their life in this tragic case. The actions of a single person have caused significant damage to the people of Rochdale.
'I want to take this opportunity to categorically confirm that this terrible incident is in no way related to the pre-planned Counter Terrorism arrests and searches that took place yesterday, part of which resulted in the arrest of a man in Rochdale on Saturday evening.
'We are aware of comments on social media about the driver's identity and ethnicity. The suspect is a white male currently in custody and no further details can be released at this time.
'I also want to reassure the public that ongoing efforts are being taken to ensure the safety of people in Rochdale and our Major Incident Team are conducting several lines of enquiry. The lone offender has been arrested on suspicion of murder and it is being treated as an isolated incident, with both scenes now closed and roads reopened.'