Eight people were injured in the crash
The terrifying moment a Moscow taxi mounted the curb and drove into pedestrians, including some World Cup fans, has been caught on camera.
Eight people were taken to hospital, one of whom is in a serious condition, according to Moscow city’s healthcare department, including two Mexicans in the Russian capital for their nation’s World Cup fixture against Germany on Sunday.
The Moscow traffic authority has said that the driver of the vehicle was not drunk but lost control of the vehicle.
Video of the incident shows a taxi driving down the pavement for a short distance, hitting multiple pedestrians. The car comes to a stop after hitting a street sign.
Bystanders quickly go to the driver’s side door and try to force it open. A man wearing a black t-shirt and black trousers runs away and is chased by others around him.
Video of today's incident in #Moscow, #Russia, in which a taxi vehicle rammed into pedestrians on the sidewalk: https://t.co/6IQ6GOuZic
— Alex Kokcharov (@AlexKokcharov) June 16, 2018
In a video released by Moscow police, the driver says he accidentally pressed the accelerator when he wanted to break. He said:
“I regret it. I wanted to go home afterwards to sleep.”
The Moscow traffic authority tweeted the taxi driver’s licence, naming him as 28-year-old Chingiz Anarbek Uulu.
It said he fled the scene because he feared being attacked by members of the public.
One witness, Viktoria Geraimovich, said the driver “ran into a group of Mexicans. There were shouts, moans. He was only stopped because he hit a traffic sign.”
“Someone gave him a punch in the face. He stayed in the car, people came up to him, said what are you doing, punched him in the face, he opened the door and tried to run away.”
“It’s scary that it was in the centre of Moscow and I was right opposite.”
