Modena’s mayor, Massimo Mezzetti, told the Ansa news agency that the driver had “aimed for the pavement, hitting a bike” and then crashed “head-on” into a woman. He said the woman suffered severe injuries to her legs.

The driver is an Italian national from Bergamo and lives in the Modena area, the mayor added.

Authorities said the man tried to flee after the crash. Witnesses told Italian media that several people chased and stopped him.

One witness told Ansa the driver reappeared “with a knife in his hand”. Mezzetti said the man was seen holding a knife and “seems like he was trying to hit someone”, but no stabbing was reported.

The two most seriously injured victims were taken to Maggiore hospital in Bologna.

One injured man told Rai news he saw the car coming “at high speed” and heard “people being hit”. He said he managed to move out of the way in time, as per The Guardian report.

The same witness said the driver appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, though this has not been confirmed by officials.

Mezzetti said the motive behind the incident is still unclear. “We need to understand what’s behind this act,” he said, adding that the event was “extremely serious”. He also thanked those who helped stop the driver, saying they showed “courage and great civic sense”.

Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said she stood with those injured and their families.-Agencies