Driver Salim El Koudri Plows Car Into Pedestrians in Modena, Injuring Eight

A car plowed into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena on Saturday, injuring eight people, four of them critically, before the driver was detained by police.

Modena mayor Massimo Mezzetti said the vehicle entered one of the city’s main streets and "drove onto the sidewalk, sending several people flying," before crashing into a shop window.

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Authorities said the driver, identified as Salim El Koudri, was a 31-year-old born in Bergamo and living in the province of Modena, and he was being questioned at police headquarters as investigators worked to determine whether he acted deliberately.

Prefect Fabrizio Triolo told reporters that a total of seven people were injured by the car, and CNN reported that several pedestrians suffered serious injuries including one woman whose legs were amputated after being struck by the car head-on.

CNN also reported that the man suspected of carrying out the attack was born in 1995, had a degree in business administration, and had been referred to the mental health center for schizoid (personality) disorders in 2022, but authorities lost track of him after a period of observation.

After the crash, four Italian civilians stepped in and tackled the vehicle’s driver, pulling him to the ground, according to Modena mayor Massimo Mezzetti.

Mezzetti told state-owned news agency RAI, "Four citizens, whom I thank, captured him and handed him over to law enforcement," and he added that when "they threw him to the ground, one was slightly injured" by the knife.

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At a press conference, Prefect Fabrizio Triolo said the alleged attacker was born in 1995 and that "At the time of his arrest, he was not under the influence of psychotropic substances, so he appeared to be lucid," while also saying the investigative scenario was evolving.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the incident as "extremely serious" in a message on social media, saying she expressed closeness to the injured people and their families and extended thanks to the citizens who intervened and to law enforcement agencies for their response.

Local authorities said victims were taken to hospitals in Modena and Bologna, including by helicopter for the most critical cases, as emergency services including police, carabinieri and financial police responded to the scene.

AP reported that witnesses said the driver was holding a knife but he did not manage to stab anyone, while investigators continued working to determine whether the act was deliberate or linked to other causes.

Euronews reported that the mayor said at least eight were injured, four seriously, and that the woman pinned against a shop window may require the amputation of both legs.

Euronews also said the driver was detained and questioned at police headquarters as authorities worked to determine whether he was under the influence of substances or acted deliberately, and it described government monitoring with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in contact with the interior minister Matteo Piantedosi and Alfredo Mantovano for real-time updates.

AP added that investigators said there was no immediate indication the man was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, while Modena Prefect Fabrizia Triolo said El Koudri had been known to local mental health services for schizoid disorders and officials stressed early findings pointed to possible mental instability but required further verification.