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A woman is in a critical condition after a man allegedly ran a red light and slammed into her sedan at a Melbourne intersection.
The driver allegedly tried to flee the scene in Brunswick West but was grabbed and held down by quick-thinking witnesses.
Victoria Police praised the "courageous" members of the community who pinned down the 31-year-old man on Saturday morning before he was handed over to authorities.
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"We thank them for assisting the community in this matter," Detective Lee Barton said.
The sound of the crash, as the Toyota slammed into the Honda, sent witnesses scrambling to help.
Some describing the incident as "horrifying to watch", especially as the driver climbed out of the wreck before allegedly making a run for it.
"It was just a shock to see this person on the ground and trying to get away," Louis Gillet told 9News.
"It was horrifying to watch to be honest with you. It was absolutely horrifying."
The impact of the smash sent debris flying across the intersection and left a 49-year-old woman trapped in her seat with critical injuries.
"The driver's just hit the passenger door which basically was a direct impact," witness Shivam Zinzila told 9News.
The 31-year-old male driver was also hurt and taken to hospital under police guard.
The driver is alleged to have hit the back of another car, a black hatchback, seconds earlier, with CCTV showing part of his bumper hanging off as he approached the intersection.
Major Collision detectives took control of the crime scene and traffic was blocked in both directions along Melville Road and Albion Street as officers combed the area and the cars for several hours.
The Laverton man remains in hospital under police supervision and will be interviewed as soon as he's well enough.
