A driver in Modena, a city in northern Italy, plowed into pedestrians on Saturday, injuring eight people, including four who officials said were in critical condition, before police detained him after an attempted escape. Modena Mayor Massimo Mezzetti said no one was killed in the crash and described it as “dramatic,” with at least one victim requiring emergency surgery after being pinned against a shop window.
Authorities identified the driver as Salim El Koudri, a 31-year-old Italian man living in the province of Modena. Local authorities said El Koudri was detained and questioned at police headquarters in Modena as investigators worked to determine whether he acted deliberately. During a press conference Saturday evening, authorities also said there was no immediate indication the man was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Investigators said they searched El Koudri’s home as part of the probe. Authorities told reporters they were trying to establish what happened and what factors may have contributed, and they said there was no immediate evidence at that stage of extremist links.
Mezzetti said the driver entered one of Modena’s main streets and then drove onto the sidewalk, “sending several people flying,” before crashing into the shop window. He said witnesses reported that the driver was holding a knife but that the mayor said the suspect did not stab anyone. Mezzetti said investigators were continuing their work to determine whether the act was deliberate or linked to other causes, and he added that early findings pointed toward possible mental instability that still required further verification.
Italian authorities said El Koudri was known to local mental health services for schizoid disorders. Officials also stressed that their early findings were not definitive and that further checks were needed. Emergency services responded to the scene, including police and other security forces, and the area was cordoned off as ambulances treated victims in the street.
Some citizens involved in the crash stopped El Koudri before police fully detained him. Victims were taken to hospitals in Modena and Bologna, with officials saying a helicopter transported the most critical cases.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni described the incident as “extremely serious” in a social media post, expressing solidarity with victims and their families. She thanked citizens who intervened to help stop the suspect and praised law enforcement, adding that she was in contact with local authorities and expected the suspect to be held fully accountable.
“Whatever the nature, it is a very serious act,” Mezzetti said. “If it were an attack, it would be even more serious.”