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Man accused of striking 9 pedestrians in Montreal charged with assault with weapon, dangerous driving

Man accused of striking 9 pedestrians in Montreal charged with assault with weapon, dangerous driving

The 38-year-old man accused of striking nine pedestrians with his car in Montréal-Nord on Wednesday has been charged with three crimes.

He appeared in a Quebec court on Thursday and was charged with assault with a weapon, dangerous driving causing bodily harm and failure to stop at the scene of an accident.

A blood sample was also taken, and the man could potentially face a charge of drug-impaired driving, according to Montreal police spokesperson Const. Manuel Couture.

Couture said the nine people who were hit were transported to hospital with injuries ranging from mild to severe, but none are life threatening.

The victims are aged between five months and 71 years.

The incident began at the corner of Langelier Boulevard and de Dijon Street just before 1 p.m.

The driver allegedly hit a pedestrian and failed to stop, driving down Dijon, onto the sidewalk and into a group of people near the Valade Avenue intersection.

The vehicle finally stopped near Rolland Street. The suspect then tried to escape on foot, police said, but citizens held him there until officers arrived.

The suspect, who was not injured, was arrested at the scene and held overnight at hospital for evaluation.