At least 15 people have been injured after a car plowed into a crowd in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro.

 

Early reports indicate that the car was driving down a sidewalk in Rio's Copacabana Beach and running down pedestrians. The driver is said to have tried to leave the scene, but was ultimately detained, according to officials on the scene.

 

Some of the injured pedestrians, which included four children and a baby, have been taken to the Miguel Couto and Souza Aguiar hospitals. It is unclear the severity of the injuries suffered.

 

Local media outlets are reporting that the driver traveled 15 meters before coming to a stop.

According to local media reports, the cause of the incident was the alleged epilepsy of the driver. Police officers have reportedly found plenty 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.

 

Icmal.Az