‘Sudanese immigrant terror attacker’ Salih Khater, drove around London for hours before smashing his car into cyclists outside Parliament leaving 15 injured
‘Sudanese immigrant terror attacker’ who drove around London for hours before smashing his car into cyclists outside Parliament leaving 15 hurt
Salih Khater, from Birmingham, deliberately careened into pedestrians and cyclists at Parliament Square at 7.37am
Khater, 29, drove from his apt in Hall Green, Birmingham, to London on Monday before cruising around while waiting for the early morning rush hour
The suspec allegedly cruised tourist hotspots around Tottenham Court Road before 1.25am and 5.55am before going to Whitehall
The crash came 17 months after Khalid Masood mowed don pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, crushing 5 people, before fatally stabbing officer Keith Palmer
Terror suspect Salih Khater, is taken into custody by security agents at the crash scene on Tuesday morning
A Sudanese immigrant known to police is thought to be behind another terror attack on Westminster after ploughing his car into 15 cyclists outside Parliament.
Salih Khater, 29, veered off the road careering into pedestrians and cyclists at Parliament Square, after spending the night cruising around London.
There were screams as the Ford Fiesta mounted the pavement and mowed people down at up to 50mph at 7.37am.
In a chilling echo of Khalid Masood’s murderous rampage on Westminster 17 months ago, the driver, from Birmingham, sped towards the Palace of Westminster – narrowly missing two police officers guarding the access road who jumped out of his path. He then smashed into a security barrier outside Parliament.
Despite hitting at least 15 cyclists and pedestrians during rush hour, no one was killed with only one female cyclist seriously injured.
Within minutes the driver, dressed in a white shirt, jeans and a black puffa jacket, was dragged from the driving seat of the crumpled vehicle by armed officers.
The terror suspect – thought to be a lone wolf – remained strangely calm and utterly silent, offering no resistance as he was handcuffed.
Salih Khater, [L-R], veered off the road careering into pedestrians and cyclists at Parliament Square, after spending the night cruising around London
Last night it emerged Khater, who was said to be of Sudanese origin, drove from his rundown apt in Hall Green, Birmingham, to London on Monday evening arriving just after midnight. He spent all night driving around central London, cruising around tourist hotspots such as Tottenham Court Road between 1.25am and 5.55am
CCTV footage showing the car on the wrong side of the road then swerve left, hitting cyclists and pedestrians before hitting a barrier
Cops removing the damaged Ford Fiesta, Khater used as a battering ram from the scene on Tuesday evening
. [Photo], Cyclists abandoned their bikes after the collision with one being treated for injuries in the middle of the road after the terror attack, on Tuesday
Salih Khater and said to be a British citizen of Sudanese origin – was arrested by armed police after the car hit cyclists and pedestrians before crashing into a security barrier at around 50 mph during the morning rush-hour.
Police raided a string of addresses in the Midlands as they tried to discover what was behind his actions. He was refusing to cooperate with police.
The Silver Ford Fiesta reportedly, was written off by insurers last autumn and had failed an MOT as it had problems with headlights, a hand brake lever and the steering rack. But it was put back on the road and sold again eight weeks ago.
The car used by terror suspect Salih Khater was written off by insurers late in 2017, but it was put back on the road and sold again eight weeks ago
Immediately after the crash, security measures around Westminster and on central London bridges were beefed up in the wake of terror attacks last year.
Security arrangements around Parliament, it was reported, are likely to come under fresh scrutiny at the forthcoming inquests into the deaths of five people including police officer Keith Palmer who were killed in the Westminster Bridge attack last year.
Khalid Masood ploughed a hired SUV into pedestrians on the bridge before getting out and fatally stabbing Mr Palmer, who was guarding the Palace of Westminster but was unarmed.
The car was stopped in its tracks by a new security barrier designed to stop an attack launched with a much heavier vehicle
He spent all night driving around central London, cruising around tourist hotspots such as Tottenham Court Road between 1.25am and 5.55am.
He then spent 90 minutes driving around Whitehall and Westminster, leading to suspicions he may have been hunting for large crowds of tourists to target.
He has not spoken a word since being arrested despite hours of questioning last night.
Meanwhile, officers have raided two addresses in Birmingham and one in Nottingham where the vehicle was registered.
Khater who moved out of a run down apartment above an Internet café almost four months ago, lived alone at the apartment in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham.
Officers were seen leaving with evidence contained in clear plastic bags.
Forensic officers were still at the scene where the Ford Fiesta crashed near the Houses of Parliament, late Tuesday
The attack was caught on CCTV showing the car swerve the wrong way down the road and veering across a pedestrian crossing through crowds of cyclists waiting at a set of traffic lights.
He hit a female cyclist who was left lying motionless in the road suffering from a suspected broken hip, while other injured cyclists lay sprawled in the road by their mangled bikes.
A man and the female cyclist were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries and were later discharged. A witness said: ‘There were about 15 cyclists there. All of a sudden, whipping round the corner, just from the traffic lights, was this small car [which] just rammed straight through the group of ten to 15 cyclists that were stood there.’
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