Man Drives Car Into Pedestrians in Modena, Injuring Eight – Four Seriously, Two Legs Amputated

A man drove his car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena on Saturday, injuring eight people, four of them seriously. Among the victims, a woman 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 on Sunday alongside President Sergio Mattarella. 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 them embracing.

The incident occurred around 16:30 local time (14:30 GMT). The speeding car hit pedestrians in Via Emilia next to the iconic cathedral of Modena, south-east of Milan. The vehicle then veered left before coming to a halt against a shop window. Signorelli told Italian media that he was trying to help a woman when he noticed the driver trying to run away. He gave chase, and the attacker turned on him with a knife in hand. Signorelli received a blow to the head and one on his chest before being able to restrain the suspect with the help of other passers-by.

At a news conference on Saturday evening, the prefect of Modena, Fabrizia Triolo, said the suspect had been referred to a mental health centre in 2022 for "schizoid disorders" but had then "disappeared without a trace." One eyewitness said: "We saw the car approaching, it was heading for the kerb. It suddenly accelerated – it was going at least 100km/h (62mph). We saw people flying." Modena's Mayor, Massimo Mezzetti, said it appeared the driver "deliberately drove on to the pavement, hitting several people and crashing into a shop window. He then got out of his car and brandished a knife."

Five women and three men were injured. The mayor said the suspect was born in the province of Bergamo, close to Milan, and lives in the province of Modena. Italy's far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who leads the anti-immigrant League party, named the suspect on X as Salim El Koudri, describing him as a "second-generation criminal." Italian media, however, report that the economics graduate is unemployed and has no criminal record.

So a man with a history of mental health issues, no criminal record, and an economics degree drove a car into a crowd, emerged with a knife, and was stopped by a heroic passer-by. Eight people are in hospital. One woman has lost both her legs. The prime minister cancelled a trip to Cyprus. And the political machine is already grinding. Modena is known for balsamic vinegar, Ferrari, and opera. This weekend, it added something else to its reputation: a scene of chaos, courage, and unanswered questions.