A driver injured seven people, two of them seriously, when he drove onto a sidewalk in the northern Italian city of Modena on Saturday and then got out of his vehicle possibly holding a knife, the mayor said.
Incident Details
Early eyewitness accounts indicated that the driver, believed to be in his 30s, deliberately aimed for the sidewalk, hitting a bicycle before crashing into a woman, who suffered severe leg injuries, according to Mayor Massimo Mezzetti. He spoke to local media and the ANSA news agency.
“He was seen with a knife in his hand, but he didn’t manage to stab anyone. It seems like he was trying to hit someone,” Mezzetti said.
Ongoing Investigation
The mayor added that the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear. “We need to understand what’s behind this act. But it was a dramatic event. I am deeply shaken. Whatever it was, it was extremely serious. If it turns out to be an attack, that would be even more serious,” Mezzetti stated.
Authorities are investigating the motive and have not yet classified the event as an attack. The driver was taken into custody, and the injured were transported to local hospitals for treatment.
