Eight injured when vehicle plows into New Year’s crowd in Tokyo

At least eight people were injured in Tokyo after a vehicle plowed into a crowd of people celebrating the New Year, Reuters reported.

Police said they had arrested Kazuhiro Kusakabe, 21, from Osaka, on suspicion of attempted murder after he allegedly drove into a crowd near Harajuku, which is a popular tourist area. One person was seriously injured in the incident.

The area had been closed to vehicles as scores of pedestrians made their way to the nearby Meiji Shrine, Reuters reported.

{mosads}After driving his vehicle into the crowd, Kusakabe reportedly fled the scene and assaulted a pedestrian before police detained him about 20 minutes later. Authorities found 20 liters of kerosene in his vehicle, Reuters reported.

Reuters reported that the suspect said his actions were in retaliation for capital punishment in the country.

The incident in Tokyo came on the same night that three people were stabbed in the United Kingdom. Authorities there are investigating the incident as terrorism.

In Germany, a man was arrested after he allegedly drove his vehicle into multiple crowds, injuring at least four people total. Police said the suspect was believed to have been targeting foreigners.