At least eight people were injured on Saturday after a car drove into pedestrians in the centre of the northern Italian city of Modena. According to police, the driver was arrested shortly after the incident and authorities said there was no further danger to the public.
Modena mayor Massimo Mezzetti said four people were seriously injured, with two victims reported to be in critical condition, Reuters reported.
The driver, described as a man in his thirties and an Italian national of North African origin from the Bergamo area, allegedly drove deliberately onto the sidewalk before crashing into a shop window.
"It seems the driver deliberately drove onto the sidewalk, hitting several people and crashing into a shop window. He then got out of his car and brandished a knife," Mezzetti said.
A man who attempted to stop the driver suffered minor injuries during the incident. Witnesses told local media they heard people falling and saw the car speeding toward pedestrians, with one witness claiming the driver appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, though authorities have not officially confirmed this.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed solidarity with the victims and their families in a post on X, calling the incident 'extremely serious'. Police are continuing to investigate the motive behind the attack.
"I express my closeness to the injured people and their families. I also extend my thanks to the citizens who bravely intervened to stop the perpetrator and to the law enforcement agencies for their response," she wrote.
