Moscow taxi driver mounts sidewalk, mows down pedestrians

Eight people were injured on Saturday when a taxi driver ploughed into a crowd of people in central Moscow. CCTV footage posted on social media showed the cab driving about ten meters (yards) along the crowded pavement before hitting a traffic sign and coming to a partial stop.

The footage showed bystanders trying to pull open the driver's door, and the driver then jumping out of the cab and running away. Other pedestrians chased after him and could be seen trying to tackle him to the ground. 

'Asleep at the wheel'

Citing an unnamed source, Russia's Interfax news agency reported the cab driver fell asleep at the wheel and accidentally pressed the accelerator pedal. The city's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, earlier said on Twitter that the driver "failed to maintain control." He said several people were injured and received the necessary medical assistance. "I am keeping the situation under control," Sobyanin added.

Moscow police opened a criminal investigation into a suspected violation of the traffic code. 

All of the injured had been taken to hospital. Seven were in a satisfactory condition, according to a statement from Moscow city's healthcare department while one woman was seriously hurt.

The Mexican embassy in Moscow said two Mexican women, visiting the city for the World Cup, had been lightly injured by the taxi. A Ukrainian and two Russian nationals were also among those hurt, reported Russia's TASS news agency.

Moscow's traffic management authority said the taxi driver had a driver's licence issued in Kyrgyzstan, a mainly Muslim ex-Soviet republic. It cited the driver as saying he had not driven into the crowd on purpose.

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kw,dj (AFP, Reuters)