A driver suffering from psychological issues ran over pedestrians on a street in the city of Modena in northern Italy on Saturday, resulting in eight people being injured, four of them seriously, according to authorities.

Footage from surveillance cameras broadcast by Italian media showed a car speeding through a street crowded with pedestrians and cyclists in the city center.

Hit-and-run accident

The prefect of the city, Fabrizia Triolo, said in a press conference that the driver, an Italian of Moroccan origin, ran over several people before crashing his car into a storefront.

The driver attempted to flee the scene, but four bystanders chased and cornered him before he brandished a knife and injured one of them.

The prefect added that eight people, including a German and a Polish national, were taken to the hospital, four of whom are in critical condition. One of the injured underwent a double leg amputation.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the incident on platform X as “very serious.”

She added: “I would also like to express my gratitude to the citizens who bravely intervened to arrest the perpetrator, as well as to law enforcement officers for their response.”

Suffering from psychological issues

The prefect indicated that the driver, a graduate in economics born in 1995, was not known to the police, but had gone through a period of psychological distress in 2022.

She added that he “was receiving treatment at a mental health center for schizophrenic disorders, but we lost contact with him after an initial period of monitoring at the center.”

According to the prefect, the driver was not under the influence of any drugs.

Modena

Modena is a historic city in northern Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, renowned for its well-preserved Romanesque cathedral, the Torre Civica, and Piazza Grande—a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its history dates back to ancient times as a Roman colony, and it later flourished under the Este family during the Renaissance, becoming a center of art and culture. Today, Modena is also famous as the birthplace of opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti and for its culinary traditions, including balsamic vinegar and Lambrusco wine.

Modena

Modena, located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, is a historic city renowned for its rich cultural heritage and culinary traditions. Its history dates back to ancient times, flourishing as a Roman colony and later becoming a key center during the Middle Ages under the Este family, who left landmarks like the UNESCO-listed Modena Cathedral and the Ghirlandina Tower. Today, Modena is celebrated as the birthplace of opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti and for its production of traditional balsamic vinegar.