Monday, 23rd December 2024

A 9-month-old baby among the victims after a car killed five in Germany

Five people are now confirmed to have died in western Germany after a car was driven on a pedestrianised area in the city of Trier.

Wednesday, 2nd December 2020

Trier, Germany: Five people are now confirmed to have died in western Germany after a car was driven on a pedestrianised area in the city of Trier. Police replaced the earlier tally of four deaths, revealing in a tweet on Tuesday night that a fifth person had also died.

A middle-aged man has been charged with the killing of these five individuals; however, police do not suspect any political, religious or terrorist motive behind the incident that killed five people.

DPA agency reported that one victim of this incident was just a nine-month-old child, while other deceased included two females aged 25 and 73, and a 45-year-old man.

The baby's mother is known to be among 15 people with serious injuries in hospital after the car- an off-road vehicle was driven for 900 metres through the pedestrianised zone.

A 51-year-old local man was held at the scene, and his car was seized by police. Prosecutor Peter Fritzen told at a news conference that accused suffered from psychiatric problems which may have played a part in his act.

He was not before known to police, Trier deputy police chief Franz-Dieter Anker said earlier, adding that there did not appear to be a "political or religious motive". The suspect has not been named."

Anker described how the agency, an SUV, "struck and overwhelmed passers-by at random".

Prosecutors have driven an inquiry on multiple counts of suspected murder, tried murder and dangerous bodily harm. They added the defendant had been driving under the impact of alcohol.

Trier police said the car was pushed in the pedestrianised zone for 900 metres.