(CNN) A driver who appears to have intentionally hit a group of pedestrians on a sidewalk in Northern California, leaving eight people injured, faces eight counts of attempted murder, Sunnyvale Public Safety Chief Phan Ngo said Wednesday.

The incident happened Tuesday evening in Sunnyvale. Police were called to the scene about 6:40 p.m., after the driver appeared to accelerate as he moved into a crosswalk full of pedestrians, Ngo said in a video posted to the department's Facebook page.

A witness told investigators the driver was heard to say "something similar to, 'Thank you, God,'" after plowing through the crosswalk and crashing into a tree, Ngo said. Evidence suggested the driver intentionally struck the pedestrians.

"There's no apparent connection between the suspect and the victims," the chief said.

Don Draper told CNN he spoke with the suspect moments after the crash.

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