A Taxi Ran Over Several Pedestrians in Moscow; Driver is in Custody

A taxi collided with pedestrians near Red Square in Moscow, leaving several injured, including a number of Mexican citizens who had traveled to the Russian capital to support their team during the 2018 World Cup. Moscow police stated that the driver has been detained and a criminal case has been opened. Officials in Moscow said the taxi driver 'lost control of his vehicle' and injured at least seven people on a sidewalk in the city center. Russian authorities indicated that the taxi driver's license was issued in Kyrgyzstan, and an image of this driving license has also been published. Videos circulating on social media show the taxi suddenly veering from a busy street onto the sidewalk. The driver, dressed in black, attempted to flee the scene after pedestrians tried to pull him from the vehicle, but footage shows that people were chasing him. Moscow police stated in a statement that the 'initial reason' for the incident was the driver's inability to control the vehicle. The mayor of the Russian capital also tweeted that the driver 'lost control [of his vehicle]' which led to 'this unfortunate incident.' Sergey Sobyanin added that he is monitoring the ongoing investigation. The incident did not result in fatalities, but at least seven people were injured. Moscow hospital officials reported that the number of injured is eight. According to various reports, two Mexican citizens, two Russians, two Ukrainians, and two citizens of Azerbaijan were injured. The Russian police released a video in which the taxi driver claims he intended to escape from traffic: 'I am really sorry... I just wanted to get home and sleep.' The Kyrgyz embassy in Moscow told Radio Free Europe that they are investigating the incident and that Russian police have interrogated their citizen. Russia is under special security measures during the World Cup.