Many dangerous people are starting to use cars to attack pedestrians. This is because cars not only make it extremely easy to hurt others, they also protect the person inside. Although the drivers are sometimes jihadists, this is not always the case.

For example, just recently, a car with two occupants mounted the sidewalk outside of a nightclub in Spain and began terrorizing pedestrians. When police arrived, the driver drove off and tried to escape. After a short chase, the two suspects were taken into custody, but not before they hit several cars and totaled their own.

Earlier this week, two unidentified men, aged 28 and 29, were filmed by a terrified onlooker driving a black Audi Q7 on the sidewalk in Puerto Banus, a marina located in the city of Marbella, Spain. The two men were reportedly involved in an altercation at Ocean Club, a popular nightclub for tourists, during their annual “Champagne Party,” and as a result were asked to leave. Outraged, they went to their car and drove onto the sidewalk outside of the event.

Once in the pedestrian-only area, their car is seen on video driving in circles and mowing down pedestrians. Although many try screaming for help, the car’s screeching tires drown out their shouting. Despite the imminent danger, several Good Samaritans are seen risking their lives to help the injured (Warning, graphic content).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA2Mnfv5deg

After driving around for several minutes, the car stops and the passenger gets out and flees. The video then shows the other suspect drive away as police sirens draw nearer, leading to a brief chase on the wrong side of the road.

After the suspect crashed into several cars, which totaled the Audi, the chase ended. This too was captured on camera. Dash cam footage shows the suspect smashing into several cars traveling in the opposite direction (Warning, graphic content).

In total, 8 people, including a newborn baby, were sent to the hospital for a variety of injuries as a result. Thankfully, no one was killed. The driver and the passenger were both taken into custody and tested for drugs and alcohol. According to police, the driver tested positive for cocaine and the passenger tested positive for cannabis. Both men were also drunk at the time of their arrest. Although some feared the attack was linked to terrorism, police claimed the drugs and alcohol were to blame.

Shortly after the incident, Jose Bernal, the city’s mayor, released a statement explaining that it was an isolated incident involving two drunks in an otherwise safe city and praised law enforcement officers for their rapid response. Specifically, he said, “what happened yesterday was basically two drunks on drugs who had a fight in a club and got in a car and ended up running over three people in their madness who thankfully survived,” adding, “It’s an exceptional occurrence in Marbella which should make us feel proud of the security we have here.” He concluded, “Marbella is a safe place and when isolated incidents like this occur, the emergency services and forces of law and order have shown they act immediately and efficiently.”

Unfortunately, this is not the first time this month that someone went on a drug-fueled rampage while behind the wheel of a car. Several weeks ago, Richard Rojas allegedly smoked cannabis laced with PCP, a drug known for making people violent, and drove his car onto a crowded sidewalk in Times Square. Rojas then proceeded to run over terrified pedestrians as he sped along the walkway for several blocks. He ultimately crashed into a barricade and was arrested by police. Similar to Marbella, the arresting officers claimed drugs, not jihad, were to blame.

In order to better protect pedestrians, communities should push to have barriers constructed along walkways and at intersections in order to prevent cars from driving onto the sidewalk. Doing this would have prevented the two people in Spain from harming others and would have kept the victims in Times Square safe. Building barriers also protect people from possible terrorist attacks. Until this happens, terrorists can easily use cars to do a massive amount of harm.