8 injured as man rams car into crowd in Italy’s Modena

The fleeing driver was stopped by some pedestrians, one of whom he attacked with a knife, before being arrested

⁠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 born ‌in Bergamo and of North African origin, who had moved to the province that includes Modena – attempted to flee after the car crashed into a shop window, Modena’s mayor told broadcaster RaiNews24.

The fleeing driver was stopped by some pedestrians, one of whom he attacked with a knife and slightly ⁠injured. The driver was later arrested by police.

The driver was receiving treatment for ‌psychiatric disorders, a source in the Interior Ministry said, without elaborating on the man’s motivations or whether terrorism was a factor.

Among the ‌injured, four were in serious condition and two were airlifted to a ⁠hospital in Bologna, ⁠around 40km (25 miles) from Modena, the city’s mayor, Massimo Mezzetti, told RaiNews24.

“It seems [the driver] deliberately ‌drove onto the sidewalk, hitting several people,” Mezzetti said.