BRAZIL — More than a dozen people are injured and at least one child has been killed after a car plowed into a crowd in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro.
According to local media, the driver attempted to escape but was detained by citizens who attempted to beat him until police intervened. The incident took place along Copacabana Beach.
Officials say an infant was killed and multiple children are in critical condition.
A witness told GloboNews, “Chairs flew, we did not realize it was a car until […] we saw people lying on the floor. There was a [injured] baby,” she said. “It was very fast, [the car] came very fast. It was strange, because the traffic was very slow.”
Video from the scene showed the horrific aftermath.
Breaking: Video of scene after a car crashes into a crowd injuring at least 15 people in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. pic.twitter.com/3FzfeZQkY7
— PM Breaking News (@PMBreakingNews) January 19, 2018
Motorista invade calçadão de Copacabana e deixa feridos no Rio https://t.co/0ZmTQQ2p9J #G1 pic.twitter.com/vPjP1OHRdu
— G1 (@g1) January 18, 2018
The driver, identified by local media as Antonio de Almeida Anaquim, told police he blacked out after suffering an epileptic seizure.
Police do not believe the incident is terror related but said the investigation is ongoing.
