Moments after a car plowed into a crowd of pedestrians in Modena, Italy, on Saturday, four Italian civilians intervened, tackled the car’s driver and pulled him to the ground, the mayor of Modena said.
“A madman, I don’t know what to call the criminal who committed this act, got out of his car brandishing a knife,” Mayor Massimo Mezzetti told state news agency RAI. “We are grateful that four citizens captured him and turned him over to law enforcement.”
Eight people were injured when a car plowed into a crowd on Via Emilia, a busy street in the center of Modena, northern Italy, Mezzetti said. He added that four pedestrians were seriously injured, including a woman who had to have her leg amputated after a head-on collision with a car.
“I would like to thank the citizens,” Mezzetti said of the four people who arrested the suspected driver. “The man was also armed with a knife. They showed courage and great civic sense. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts at this dramatic moment.”
Mezzetti praised the four men, but added: “When they threw him to the ground, one received a minor knife wound.”
Luca Signorelli told Reuters he was helping a woman who was seriously injured by the car as the driver tried to flee.
“I ran after him,” Signorelli said, adding that several others followed to help. “He disappeared behind a line of cars and then suddenly reappeared with a knife in his hand.”
“A fight started,” Signorelli said. “I was stabbed twice, once in the heart and once in the head. I managed to avoid one of the two, but I stopped the other by grabbing my wrist.”
Another witness told Reuters that the woman was pushed against a storefront and her leg was “severed” by the force of the crash.
“He pushed her against a store window,” one witness said.
The mayor told RAI that the man was being questioned at a local police station and that authorities would provide an update at a later date. It was not immediately clear whether the man was under the influence of drugs or acted intentionally.
Italian police told CNN that the 31-year-old unemployed man, who lives in Modena and has a degree in economics, is currently living with his parents. As of Saturday evening, he was still being questioned.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in a statement on social media that he was in contact with Italy’s interior minister “for further details” and thanked law enforcement for arresting the suspect.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the incident “extremely serious” in a message on social media.
“My heart goes out to those injured and their families,” Meloni wrote. “We would also like to thank the citizens who bravely intervened to stop the perpetrators, and the law enforcement agencies who responded.”
“I have spoken with the mayor and am in constant communication with authorities to monitor the development of the situation,” she continued. “I believe the perpetrators will take full responsibility for their actions.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
