Eight injured, four critically, as car rams into pedestrians
Eight people were injured, four seriously, when a car crashed into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena on Saturday.
Mayor Massimo Mezzetti said the driver was a 31-year-old man of North African origin, born in Bergamo, raised in the province of Modena. He was taken into custody and interrogated at police headquarters while authorities worked to determine whether he was under the influence of drugs or acting deliberately.
He said the vehicle entered one of the city’s main streets and “drifted onto the pavement, blowing up a lot of people” before crashing into a shop window.
At least eight people were injured, four of whom were in serious condition, according to the mayor. Victims were taken to hospitals in Modena and Bologna, including by helicopter for the most critical cases.
Among the four seriously injured was a woman who was pinned against a store window and had to have both her legs amputated.
The driver tried to escape, but was first stopped by some citizens involved in the accident and then by the police and taken to the center for questioning.
Eyewitnesses said the man had a knife in his hand but failed to stab anyone, and the mayor said investigators were still working to determine whether the act was intentional or related to other reasons.
“Regardless of its nature, this is a very serious act,” Mezzetti said. “If this were an attack, it would be even more serious,” he said.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the incident as “extremely serious” in a social media post and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families.
Meloni thanked citizens who intervened to stop the suspect and praised law enforcement, adding that he was in contact with local authorities and expected the suspect to be held fully accountable.
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