Callahan & Blaine

Authorities on Wednesday said a 34-year-old Sunnyvale man faces eight counts of attempted murder after he is alleged to have intentionally drove his vehicle into eight people on a Sunnyvale street Tuesday evening, severely injuring several of them, including a 13-year-old girl. According to a witness, the man then stumbled out of his car mumbling “Jesus, I love you.”

The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety identified the driver as 34-year-old Isaiah J. Peoples of Sunnyvale.

Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Capt. Jim Choi said Peoples has told investigators he intentionally ran into the pedestrians on Tuesday night. He added that there was no indication Peoples was “involved with or associated to a terrorist organization.”

“There is no indication that this act in itself was related to an act of terrorism. We do know that Peoples did intentionally try to run over the people,” Choi told reporters.

Choi also said police are continuing to investigate the motive Peoples had for his actions.

Choi said of the eight victims, six remained hospitalized.

A 13-year-old Sunnyvale girl suffered the most serious injuries and is currently in critical condition.

Four other victims are hospitalized, but in stable condition, and two victims were treated and released at the scene. One of them is a 9-year-old boy, who may not have been directly hit, but suffered minor bruising after being pulled away by a parent, Choi said.

Peoples’ mother, Leevell Peoples, told the Associated Press Wednesday her son is a “model citizen” and would not deliberately drive his car into pedestrians.

Leevell Peoples told the AP the only situation she can imagine could have influenced her son is a bout of PTSD, and that her son was discharged from the Army because of the disorder.

Choi told reporters Wednesday that the driver — later identified as Peoples — may have accelerated as he veered toward the pedestrians.

“The driver did not slow down, did not try to avoid the victims and also may have accelerated at the last moment,” he said.

Police said the male driver sped through the intersection and drove directly into eight people. He then slammed into a tree and was taken into custody.

“He came out of his vehicle and basically gave up,” Choi said. “It looks like he was waiting for the police to arrive on scene.”

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