MILAN, May 16 (Reuters) – Eight people were injured this Saturday when a car ran over pedestrians in the center of the city of Modena, in northern Italy, according to police and the city’s mayor.
Police said they arrested the driver, a man in his 30s, and that there was no further danger.
Among the injured, four people are in serious condition, the city’s mayor, Massimo Mezzetti, told broadcaster RaiNews24.
The driver is an Italian citizen born in Bergamo, of North African origin and resident of the Modena region, the mayor added.
‘It appears that (the driver) deliberately drove onto the sidewalk, hitting several people and crashing into a store window. He then got out of the car and pulled out a knife,’ Mezzetti said.
A man who tried to stop the driver suffered minor injuries, the mayor said.
Continues after advertising
A witness told RaiNews24 that he heard people falling and threw himself to the ground as the car approached. He said the driver appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or medication, although authorities have not confirmed that information.
“I express my solidarity with the injured and their families,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni posted on social media X.
‘What happened in Modena is extremely serious,’ Meloni added.
(Reporting by Sara Rossi)
