A man drove his car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena on Saturday, injuring eight people, four seriously, officials said. They included a woman who had to have both her legs amputated. After the car came to a halt against a shop window, the driver emerged holding a knife and injured a passer-by who gave chase before the suspect was overpowered. The suspect, 31, has been identified by officials as an Italian national of Moroccan origin.
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who cancelled a planned trip to Cyprus and described the incident as 'extremely serious', visited the injured in hospital with President Sergio Mattarella on Sunday. She also met Luca Signorelli, the passer-by who intervened, and thanked him for his actions. 'What makes an ordinary person heroic is the moment when the heart chooses to do good, even when that involves a risk,' she wrote on X, sharing an image of their embrace.
The incident occurred around 16:30 (14:30 GMT), when the speeding car hit the pedestrians in Via Emilia, next to the iconic cathedral of Modena, southeast of Milan. The vehicle veered left before coming to a halt against a shop window.
Signorelli had told Italian media he was trying to help the woman when he noticed the driver trying to escape. He chased after him, and the attacker turned on him with a knife. He sustained injuries before managing to restrain the suspect with the help of others.
At a news conference, the prefect of Modena, Fabrizia Triolo, revealed that the suspect had been referred to a mental health center in 2022 for 'schizoid disorders' but subsequently 'disappeared without a trace.'
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the car speed toward the curb, accelerating abruptly. Modena's Mayor, Massimo Mezzetti, stated that the driver appeared to have deliberately driven onto the pavement, hitting several people before crashing into a shop.
Italy's far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini identified the suspect as Salim El Koudri, labeling him a 'second-generation criminal.' Reports indicate that the economics graduate is unemployed and has no prior criminal record.
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who cancelled a planned trip to Cyprus and described the incident as 'extremely serious', visited the injured in hospital with President Sergio Mattarella on Sunday. She also met Luca Signorelli, the passer-by who intervened, and thanked him for his actions. 'What makes an ordinary person heroic is the moment when the heart chooses to do good, even when that involves a risk,' she wrote on X, sharing an image of their embrace.
The incident occurred around 16:30 (14:30 GMT), when the speeding car hit the pedestrians in Via Emilia, next to the iconic cathedral of Modena, southeast of Milan. The vehicle veered left before coming to a halt against a shop window.
Signorelli had told Italian media he was trying to help the woman when he noticed the driver trying to escape. He chased after him, and the attacker turned on him with a knife. He sustained injuries before managing to restrain the suspect with the help of others.
At a news conference, the prefect of Modena, Fabrizia Triolo, revealed that the suspect had been referred to a mental health center in 2022 for 'schizoid disorders' but subsequently 'disappeared without a trace.'
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the car speed toward the curb, accelerating abruptly. Modena's Mayor, Massimo Mezzetti, stated that the driver appeared to have deliberately driven onto the pavement, hitting several people before crashing into a shop.
Italy's far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini identified the suspect as Salim El Koudri, labeling him a 'second-generation criminal.' Reports indicate that the economics graduate is unemployed and has no prior criminal record.
