Mayor speaks of madnessHorror in Italy: Eight people injured in rampage!

In the northern Italian city of Modena, a driver drove his car into a group of passers-by, injuring eight people. Four people were seriously injured, said the mayor of Modena, Massimo Mezzetti.

The man, an Italian with Moroccan roots, was driving at high speed on a busy city center street. He hit several passers-by before his car crashed into a shop window, said the prefect of Modena, Fabrizia Triolo.

He hit a woman with full force, whose legs later had to be amputated. According to Mayor Mezzetti, a German and a Polish woman were also seriously injured. The man then attacked a passerby with a knife who tried to stop him. The driver was arrested and questioned by police.

The driver had suffered “a psychological disorder” in 2022, explained Prefect Triolo. He was treated in a psychiatric clinic, but after that his trace was lost. According to Triolo, the driver was not under the influence of “psychotropic substances.” His apartment near Modena was searched.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke of an “extremely serious” incident. Mezzetti said it was still unclear whether it was an attack. The President of the Emilia-Romagna region, Michele de Pascale, pointed out that there were still “no clear facts”. The result of the investigation must be awaited.

An eyewitness, whose head was covered in blood, said on Italian television that he threw himself on the ground as the car sped toward him. After the car came to a stop, he chased the fleeing driver with other passers-by. “He pulled out a knife and stabbed me in the head and another in the heart, which I was able to fend off,” the witness continued. Meloni thanked the citizens “who bravely intervened” to stop the perpetrator.

Sources used: hvo/lwe/dpa/AFP