Eight injured, four critically, as car rams into pedestrians in Italy

Eight people have been injured, four of them critically, after a car drove into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena on Saturday.

The driver is a 31-year-old man born in Bergamo, raised in the province of Modena and is of North African descent, Mayor Massimo Mezzetti said. He was detained and was being questioned at police headquarters as authorities worked to determine whether he was under the influence of substances or acted deliberately.

The vehicle entered one of the city’s main streets and “drove onto the sidewalk, sending several people flying,” before crashing into the shop window, he said.

At least eight people were injured, four of them in very 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 critically injured people was a woman who was pinned against a shop window and required the amputation of both her legs.

The driver attempted to flee but was stopped first by some of the citizens involved in the crash and then by police and taken to headquarters for questioning.

Witnesses reported the man was holding a knife, though he did not manage to stab anyone, the mayor said, adding that investigators are still working to determine whether the act was deliberate or linked to other causes.

“Whatever the nature, it is a very serious act,” Mezzetti said. “If it were an attack, it would be even more serious.”

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni called the incident “extremely serious” in a social media post and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families.

Meloni thanked citizens who intervened to help stop the suspect and praised law enforcement, adding she was in contact with local authorities and expected the suspect to be held fully accountable.

AP