Early reports indicate that the car was driving down a sidewalk at Rio's Copacabana Beach and hitting pedestrians. The driver is said to have tried to flee the scene, but was ultimately detained, according to officials at the site.
— O Globo_Rio (@OGlobo_Rio) January 18, 2018
Some of the injured pedestrians, which included four children and a baby, have been taken to the Miguel Couto and Souza Aguiar hospitals. The severity of the injuries sustained is unclear.
JUST IN: At least 15 people injured after car crashes into pedestrians on Rio de Janeiro beach. https://t.co/Qt6KR0dM9t pic.twitter.com/VRzN5MDN03
— ABC News (@ABC) 19 января 2018 г.
Local media outlets are reporting that the driver traveled 15 meters before coming to a stop.
MORE: Car was driven onto the sidewalk in #RiodeJaneiro, driver then attempted to escape but was detained https://t.co/aRsSpgIx2a pic.twitter.com/KKEBNujmgH
— RT (@RT_com) 19 января 2018 г.
According to local media, the cause of the incident was the alleged epilepsy of the driver. Police officers reportedly found a sufficient amount of unknown medication inside of the crashed vehicle. Local authorities have identified the driver as Antonio de Almeida Anquim. The 41-year-old perpetrator suffered from convulsions as he tried to escape the scene of the incident following the crowd ramming. However, authorities say it is unclear if the occurrence has any link to an act of terrorism.
