ROME (AP) — A car plowed into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena on Saturday, injuring eight people, four of them critically, local authorities said.
Mayor Massimo Mezzetti said no one was killed in the dramatic crash but four victims were in serious condition. He said a woman was pinned against a shop window and required the amputation of both legs.
The driver is a 31-year-old man born in Bergamo and raised in the province of Modena, Mezzetti said. He was detained and was being questioned at police headquarters as authorities worked to determine whether he was under the influence of substances or acted deliberately, the mayor said.
Mezzetti said the vehicle entered one of the city's main streets and "drove onto the sidewalk, sending several people flying," before crashing into the shop window.
At least eight people were injured, four of them in very serious condition, according to the mayor. Victims were taken to hospitals in Modena and Bologna, including by helicopter for the most critical cases.
The driver attempted to flee but was stopped first by some of the citizens involved in the crash and then by police and taken to headquarters for questioning.
Witnesses reported the man was holding a knife, but he did not manage to stab anyone, the mayor said, adding that investigators are still working to determine whether the act was deliberate or linked to other causes.
"Whatever the nature, it is a very serious act," Mezzetti said. "If it were an attack, it would be even more serious."
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni called the incident "extremely serious" in a social media post and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families.
Meloni thanked citizens who intervened to help stop the suspect and praised law enforcement, adding she was in contact with local authorities and expected the suspect to be held fully accountable.
Emergency services, including police, carabinieri and financial police, responded to the scene, which was cordoned off as ambulances treated victims in the street.