Man slams car packed with gas cylinders into police station – days after ISIS call on fanatics to fill motors with explosives
Suspect rushed to hospital with severe burns after police say he set light to car when cops approach him
A MAN slammed a car packed with gas cylinders into a Sydney police station - just days after ISIS urged extremists to carrying out attacks on Australia by “filling your cars with gas”.
Officials said the man set the car on fire in the underground car park of Merrylands police station after officers approached him.
Tweets from appeared to show the vehicle wedged underneath the car park's barrier with two doors and the boot open.
The suspect, who is aged in his 60s, was rushed to nearby Westmead Hospital with serious injuries.
A police spokesman said: ";We became aware of a man sitting inside a vehicle parked in the car park.
"As police approached the vehicle it ignited. The man then drove down the driveway, colliding with the car park shutter door.
"He was unconscious for some time. Police extinguished the flames and released him from the car. He is in a serious condition with very serious burns.
"We’re still trying to establish his identity. We don’t know what the motivations are at this stage."
Local reports suggested the man was suffering from mental health problems.
No one else was injured during the incident.
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Witness Andy Toksaz told : "Suddenly I heard a really loud bang. I got out to see what was going on all the police were out the front,” Mr Toksaz said.
“They ran from inside and were all looking down the drive way. The car had gone right through the metal roller door.
“They told everyone to run in case there was a bomb.”
Firefighters and police raced to the scene in the suburb, 15 kilometres west of Sydney.
Local streets were blocked off as armed officers scoured the area with police dogs.
The chilling incident comes only a week after ISIS made a specific threat to Australia in which it urged followers to "fill your car with gas".
Anti-terror body ICSVE reported: "Fill your cars with gas … the video instructs as it shows an ISIS soldier readying to run civilians down. Realistic depictions of attacks are illustrated on the film: a suicide vest attack in New York City, a sniper attack in London, activating a German sleeper cell, and a driver of an SUV preparing to run over crowds in Australia.
"The film references using an explosive-laden truck attack.”
A Sydney Police statement read: "The man was arrested by officers about 8pm.
"The perimeter remains in place as a precaution while officers from the Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit attend and examine the vehicle.
"No members of the public or police were injured during the operation."
The incident comes just a week after a suspected ISIS-inspired terrorist drove a 19-tonne truck along Nice's promenade on Bastille Day, killing 84.
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