Sunnyvale, California: A car can accommodate 8 people at an intersection, possibly by design

A car hit eight pedestrians at an intersection in Sunnyvale, California on Tuesday night, and that could have been intentional, the authorities said. Some of those affected have serious injuries and have all been transported to hospitals in the area, said the city's Public Security Department at CBS News.

Sunnyvale DPS captain Jim Choi said the youngest victim was 13 years old.

Choi testified that the car stopped when she hit a tree and that the driver, who was alone in the vehicle, was arrested but had not been charged yet. The driver's name has not been published.

Choi told CBS San Francisco that the car had crossed an intersection and was entering pedestrians and sidewalks directly.

"It seems like it could have been an intentional act on the part of the driver, based on what's happening on the scene and some statements of pain," said Choi. "We are conducting this investigation, we do not know what the motives were."

Car authorities say 8 pedestrians were hit in Sunnyvale, California on the night of April 23, 2019, after hitting a tree

CBS San Francisco

Choi said the victims said that the vehicle had not tried to move away from them or to curb them.

He told CBS News that there was no trace of slippage on the road, adding that it was perhaps a bad place, a bad time for the victims.

But when asked if it was a terrorist act, Choi said it was too early to exclude him.