Moscow taxi slams into pedestrians

It has emerged that a taxi has been driven into a crowd of pedestrians in Moscow injuring eight people, including two Mexicans.

The incident, which occurred on the eve of the Mexico v Germany World Cup group match being played at Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium happened a stones throw from the Kremlin.

The driver, who holds a license from the former Soviet region of Kyrgyzstan, claimed that he did not drive into the crowd deliberately.

The Mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin took to Twitter to say: “There was an unpleasant incident with a taxi. The driver lost control of the vehicle.”

Eight people were hospitalised, with one woman in a serious condition.

Video  footage of the incident, which can be seen on  Global News shows the taxi, a yellow Hayundai, mount the pavement after accelerating out of a line of traffic, slamming into pedestrians, before coming to a standstill after hitting a traffic sign. 

After a frantic attempt to open the driver's door from the outside by a passer-by, the driver emerged from the vehicle and then ran off but was apprehended by other members of the public. 

It is claimed by Moscow TMA (Traffic Management Authority)  that the driver had not been drinking, with the driver claiming that he was asleep at the wheel.

Moscow's Police Authority have initiated a criminal investigation into the incident, it is unknown at the moment as to whether the incident is terror related.