Police say driver, who was overtaking another car, tested positive for marijuana

This article is more than 9 years old

This article is more than 9 years old

A speeding car ploughed head-on into a group of cyclists in southern Italy this morning, killing eight of them. The driver of the car had been smoking marijuana, police said after testing him.

Four other people were hurt in the crash, on a two-lane road near Lamezia Terme in Calabria, about 200 miles south of Naples.

The cyclists were all members of a local club. The driver, a Moroccan national who was slightly injured, was arrested.

A preliminary investigation showed the speeding car ran headfirst into the group of cyclists riding in the opposite direction. Italy's highways agency said the driver was trying to pass another car when he hit the group. Visibility and driving conditions were said to be good at the time.