Russian Taxi Mows Down Pedestrians – World Cup Security On High Alert

World Cup On High Alert After Taxi Driver Speeds Through Pedestrians

The driver, who first ran after the incident, now claims it was an accident saying that he fell asleep behind the wheel. He has yet to explain why he ran if it was, in fact, an accident.

The victims were mostly World Cup fans and the circumstances following the incident made authorities concerned that the drive may have intended to drive through the crowd. The investigation is still on-going and has led to Moscow placing the World Cup on high alert for possible attacks just as a precaution.

According to CBS News, police in Moscow said eight people were injured when a taxi crashed into pedestrians on a sidewalk near Red Square on Saturday. Police said the driver in the crash was detained, and a criminal investigation had been opened.

The video circulating on Russian social media and some news websites showed the taxi approaching a stopped line of cars, then veering onto the sidewalk and striking pedestrians. It then hit a traffic sign and bystanders tried to wrestle the driver out of the taxi, but he broke their grip and ran away; it was not clear how he was finally detained, The Washington Post reported.

The source of the video wasn’t specified, but it appeared to be a handheld recording of footage from a video monitor.

As Written By The Associated Press:

Russia is hosting the World Cup and the capital’s streets have been crowded with foreign visitors. The accident took place on Ilinka Street, about 200 meters (650 feet) from Red Square and Moscow’s famous GUM shopping arcade, an area popular with tourists.

The city health department said seven of the injured were in satisfactory condition and one was in more serious condition. Specifics on their injuries were not available.

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