Suspect accused of plowing car into crowd, injuring 8, was Army vet who served in Iraq
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}California authorities on Wednesday released the name of the suspected driver accused of plowing a vehicle into eight people a day earlier, an act that officials said appeared to be intentional.
Isaiah Joel Peoples, of Sunnyvale, Calif., was identified by the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety (DPS) on Twitter. He was scheduled to appear in court Friday in San Jose to face eight counts of attempted murder.
Authorities said Peoples, 34, a former U.S. Army sharpshooter who served in Iraq in 2005 and 2006, was behind the wheel of a black 2010 Toyota Corolla that rammed into the group while he was on his way to a Bible class.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}DRIVER PLOWS INTO GROUP OF PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA, INJURING 8 BEFORE SMASHING INTO TREE, POLICE SAY
He was working as a Defense Department auditor in Mountain View after graduating from Sacramento State University, his mother told the Associated Press.
She said her son retired from the Army because of post-traumatic stress disorder. A Pentagon spokeswoman confirmed he had retired.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The incident occurred around 6:40 p.m. Tuesday as the driver was heading west on El Camino Real towards the city of Mountain View, DPS said. After striking the group, the car continued for a few more yards before slamming into a tree near a shopping center.
The DPS provided a video update on Facebook Wednesday evening, saying that "based on evidence gathered at the scene, it appears Peoples intentionally ran over the pedestrians."
"Peoples did not slow down prior to the collision and appeared to accelerate as he moved into the crosswalk where the victims were crossing," Chief Phan Ngo said. "The vehicle struck 7 of the 8 victims and ultimately crashed into a nearby tree."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The suspect was taken into custody following the incident and booked into jail "for 8 counts of attempted murder," Ngo said.
"Currently there is no information linking the suspect to known terrorist organizations," he continued. "There are no outstanding suspects in this case and it appears that the suspect was acting alone."
A witness to the incident told authorities that, following the crash, "Peoples stated something similar to 'Thank you, God,'" Ngo said.
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Of the eight people injured, six of them were brought to the hospital and some have since been released, Ngo said.
Among the injured is a 13-year-old girl "who sustained the most serious injury" and is currently in critical condition, according to the official. Peoples did not have any apparent injuries, he added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A motive for the incident is unknown.
Fox News’ Travis Fedschun and Brie Stimson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.