UPDATED: Two children in serious condition after being hit by allegedly stolen car

UPDATED 2:10 pm: The two students allegedly struck by a stolen car remain in a serious condition in Canberra Hospital, police say.

ACT Road Policing’s Detective Inspector Mark Steel said the two St Edmund’s students, aged 14 and 15, were allegedly hit at about 9:10 am.

Both students were said to have serious injuries, and one of the students had been taken into surgery.

During the incident, the police allege the driver – described by police as a 31-year-old man – struck another car, after which he tried to flee.

Detective Inspector Steel said the man was the only occupant of the car and was known to police.

“He was apprehended a short distance away by tradespeople working in the area, and ACT Policing members attended a short time after that and took the male into custody,” he said.

Detective Inspector Steel said any trigger for the events was still unknown to police.

“That’ll form part of our ongoing inquiries in relation to this,” he said.

1:16 pm: Two children have been seriously injured after a car that was allegedly stolen from NSW, initially while a young girl was still inside it, crashed into them near a Canberra school.

The two children are in hospital, while the alleged driver of the Holden Commodore station wagon was taken into custody after the crash on Friday morning (28 March).

The series of incidents began when police were called to a childcare centre on Victoria Street in Sutton, north of the ACT, at about 7:40 am on Friday, a NSW Police spokesperson said.

Officers were told a man had allegedly entered a vehicle and driven off while an eight-year-old girl was still inside it.

However, the car stopped on Victoria Street a short time later, and the girl got out, physically unharmed.

The police spokesperson said the car then drove off and was seen travelling into the ACT.

“No pursuit was initiated,” the spokesperson said.

It is alleged the same car then hit the two child pedestrians near St Edmund’s College on Canberra Avenue in Griffith later on Friday morning.

“The same vehicle has continued along Canberra Avenue before colliding with other vehicles and coming to a stop near Manuka shops,” an ACT Policing spokesperson said.

Police said the driver of the Holden Commodore was in hospital under police guard.

An ACT Emergency Services Agency spokesperson said two people were treated by paramedics at the scene.

They were then taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Region understands much of Canberra Avenue remained closed to traffic by midday on Friday and people were being asked to avoid the area.