A driver plowed into pedestrians on Saturday in the center of Modena, northern Italy. The vehicle left the road, struck several people on the sidewalk, and then crashed into a shop window. Authorities reported eight people injured, four of them seriously.
A woman seriously injured
Among the victims, a woman was crushed against a shop window. According to the mayor of Modena, Massimo Mezzetti, she had to have both legs amputated. The most seriously injured were transported to hospitals in Modena and Bologna.
A passerby was injured with a knife during the arrest.
After the impact, the driver got out of his vehicle armed with a knife and tried to flee. A man who tried to stop him was injured; several Italian media outlets report that he was stabbed during the intervention. Reuters, however, indicates that the passerby sustained minor injuries.
The driver was arrested
The 31-year-old driver was apprehended after fleeing the scene with the help of several passersby, and then arrested by police. He was taken to the police station for questioning. Police indicated that there was no longer any danger.
The ongoing investigation
Investigators are trying to establish the exact circumstances of the tragedy: the vehicle's trajectory, the driver's intentions, their condition at the time of the incident, and the precise sequence of events during the escape. The mayor of Modena described the incident as particularly serious and thanked the citizens who intervened to help stop the driver.
