Terror Not Ruled Out as 8 Injured After Suspect Plows Car Into Crowd, Stabs Man Who Tried to Stop Him in Italy

At least eight people were injured Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Modena, Italy, when a driver rammed his car into a crowd at full speed — then knifed a bystander who tried to stop him as he attempted to flee the scene. The man has been identified by authorities as Salim el Koudri, a 31-year-old Italian citizen of Moroccan origin. The motive is not yet known, but a terrorist attack has not been ruled out.

El Koudri accelerated suddenly then zigzagged erratically on Via Emilia around 4:30 p.m., mowing down at least four pedestrians. “He was going at least a hundred kilometers per hour, we saw people flying,” one witness said. He crashed his silver Citroen C3 into a storefront window, crushing a 52-year-old woman between the car’s front end and the shop. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition and will likely have both legs amputated, authorities said.

After crashing, the knife-wielding attacker tried to run but was chased down by a crowd that included Luca Signorelli, who was viciously gashed in the head during the scuffle. “He disappeared behind a row of cars and then suddenly reappeared with a knife in his hand,” Signorelli said, his head still dripping with blood. “Two slashing blows came at me — one aimed at the heart, the other at the head… I managed to dodge one of the strikes, but the other one hit me. Then I pinned his wrist. And then I neutralized him.” Modena Mayor Massimo Mezzetti thanked Signorelli and the others for helping catch the attacker, and the terrorism unit of the Bologna District Prosecutor’s Office is assisting the investigation.

(NYP/VFI News)

“Heavenly Father, we lift up the injured victims in Modena, especially the woman in critical condition who lost her legs and all those caught in this brutal attack. We pray for Your healing hand upon their bodies and Your comfort upon their families. We thank You for the courage of Luca Signorelli and the bystanders who stopped this rampage at great risk to themselves. We ask You to protect cities across Europe from violence and bring every wicked plot to nothing. In Yeshua’s Name we pray.”