At least eight people were injured on May 16 when a car drove into a crowd in Modena, Italy.
Four victims were in serious condition on Saturday, including a woman who was pinned against a shop window, according to the city’s mayor, Massimo Mezzetti.
The wounded woman had to have both of her legs amputated, according to the mayor.
Mezzetti suspected the driver intended to cause harm using his gray car in the shopping area.
“It seems [the driver] deliberately drove onto the sidewalk, hitting several people and crashing into a shop window. He then got out of his car and brandished a knife,” Mezzetti told local media on Saturday.
Witnesses said the driver tried to flee before locals attempted to stop him until the police arrived.
They added that he held a knife, but did not stab anyone.
“Whatever the nature, it is a very serious act,” Mezzetti said. “If it were an attack, it would be even more serious.
The 31-year-old driver, an Italian national who lived in the area, was arrested and questioned to check if he was under the influence of substances.
Police will also investigate whether he was targeting the crowd.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said she trusted that the suspect would be “held fully accountable for his actions.”
“What happened today in Modena, where a man ran over several pedestrians and then allegedly stabbed a passerby, is extremely serious,” Meloni wrote in an X post on May 16.
“I express my closeness to the injured people and their families. I also extend my thanks to the citizens who bravely intervened to stop the perpetrator and to the law enforcement agencies for their response.”
Modena is located in the northern part of the country between Florence and Venice.