Tuesday night a driver in Sunnyvale, CA plowed into a crowd of people, injuring eight. Police are saying it appears the attack may have been an intentional act. From ABC 7:

Around 6:40 pm, a man in a dark sedan was seen by witnesses, speeding through the busy intersection before plowing through the group of people.

Sunnyvale DPS says the group was possibly targeted by the driver. A man who they believe purposely turned into the group while driving full speed.

“Looks like it might have been an intentional act,” Capt. Jim Choi with Sunnyvale DPS said. “All of that is under investigation at this time. The driver is in custody.”…

Witnesses say the driver made no effort to stop.

“We do have witness statements that show that vehicle did not attempt to slow down or brake,” Choi added. “And the scene itself doesn’t show any evidence of braking.”

After plowing through the group of people, the car struck a tree:

Sunnyvale Police say the driver who hit 8 people didn’t try to stop or try avoid the crowd. Police believe it was intentional. Update at 11. @nbcbayarea pic.twitter.com/rH5YHcx4jv

— Jean Elle (@nbcjeanelle) April 24, 2019

The San Francisco Chronicle reports the driver has not been identified yet but the car belongs to a man named Isaiah J. Peoples:

The driver has not been identified. But the Corolla is registered to 34-year-old Sunnyvale resident Isaiah J. Peoples, according to state Department of Motor Vehicle records. That registration was revoked Wednesday, the records show. Peoples paid for the registration with a bad check on March 22, 2019, officials said.

Two officers with the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety were standing outside Peoples’ home Wednesday morning.

Until police ID the driver, keep in mind the car could have been stolen or driven by someone else. We’ll have to wait and see.

The attack appeared intentional but the motive is still a mystery. Police are working to find out if the driver knew any of the people he hit.  All of the victims were adults with the exception of one 13-year-old girl. Some were seriously injured but their names have not been released. There is also the possibility that this was some kind of medical emergency, though if Peoples was the driver 34 would be pretty young for a heart attack.

Thus far, police are being careful not to use the T-word or to suggest that could be a motive, but it’s clear that’s one possibility under consideration. Police have contacted the FBI seeking information about the driver.

Sunnyvale police say a man intentionally drove into pedestrians, injuring 8. Cpt. Jim Choi, @SunnyvaleDPS pic.twitter.com/duhZMSgRpv

— Joe Vazquez (@joenewsman) April 24, 2019

Here’s a report from KPIX:

I’ll update this post as more information becomes available.

Update: Authorities have confirmed the identity of the driver as Isaiah Joel Peoples. He is an Iraq War vet who has had some psychiatric problems in the past. From the East Bay Times:

According to his older brother Joshua Peoples, he is an Iraq war veteran who was a gunner and provided security in the Army. He grew up in the Bay Area and got his bachelor’s degree at Sacramento State. His brother said that Peoples had shown signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after returning from Iraq and had at one point been hospitalized for psychiatric issues. The brother said that their mother had spoken to him the day before the attack and said he seemed to be having “another episode.”…

San Jose resident Don Draper said he was on the way to visit a friend to watch the San Jose Sharks’ playoff Tuesday evening and had stopped for a red light at the intersection when he saw the Corolla speeding by on his left.

“I didn’t really notice him until he was directly in front of me, going at least 60 miles an hour,” Draper said. “Several people got hit. One person, a woman, was launched in the air right in front of me. She was upside down, feet pointing straight up, flipped around and landed right in front of my car.”…

Draper added: “He kept repeating, mumbling over and over again, ‘I love you, Jesus’ and ‘Jesus, I love you.’ He seemed to be dazed. At this point, I walked back from where the car was, toward the intersection and dialed 911. I was so nervous and upset, I was having trouble dialing.”

This still doesn’t make much sense. Was he trying to kill these people or himself or both? Hopefully, we’ll get more information as the investigation continues. Here’s a photo of Peoples from his Facebook page: