A man drove a car into a crowd in the northern Italian city of Modena, injuring at least eight people, four of whom are in serious condition, police said.
The driver, a 30-year-old man born in Bergamo, of North African descent, who moved to the province where Modena is located, tried to flee after the car crashed into a shop window, the mayor of Modena told RaiNews24.
The fleeing driver was stopped by pedestrians, and he attacked one of them with a knife, slightly injuring him. Police later arrested him.
The driver was being treated for psychiatric disorders, a source at the Interior Ministry said, without providing details about his motives or whether terrorism was being considered.
Among the injured, four people are in serious condition, and two were taken by helicopter to a hospital in Bologna, about 40 kilometers from Modena, Mayor Massimo Mezzetti told RaiNews24.
Mayor: Attack was intentional
"It appears that the driver intentionally swerved onto the sidewalk and hit multiple people," Meceti said.
The man who was stabbed by the driver told RaiNews24 that he heard people falling and threw himself to the ground when the car approached. He said the driver appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Authorities have not confirmed this.
"I express solidarity with the injured and their families," Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on the social network X.
"What happened in Modena is extremely serious. I believe those responsible will be held fully accountable for their actions," she added.
Matteo Salvini, leader of the anti-immigrant League, also posted a message on the X network, highlighting the driver's North African origin and calling him a "second-generation criminal."
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