Four people injured as man rams vehicle into crowd in western Germany
On New Year’s Eve, a 50-year-old man in the western German city of Bottrop targeted several people with his car, according to police. At least four people were injured in the attack, law enforcement stated.
Police reported that the driver repeatedly tried to hit passers-by in different areas — first in the city of Bottrop, then in Essen; both are situated in the North Rhine-Westphalia federal state. In Bottrop, the suspect drove towards a pedestrian, before targeting a group of migrants from Syria and Afghanistan.
“At Berliner Platz, he once again rammed [his car] into a group of people. As a result, at least four people, including Syrian and Afghan nationals, were injured, with some of them sustaining serious injuries,” the statement, published on Presseportal.de website, said.
On New Year’s Eve, a 50-year-old man in the western German city of Bottrop targeted several people with his car, according to police. At least four people were injured in the attack, law enforcement stated.
Police reported that the driver repeatedly tried to hit passers-by in different areas — first in the city of Bottrop, then in Essen; both are situated in the North Rhine-Westphalia federal state. In Bottrop, the suspect drove towards a pedestrian, before targeting a group of people from Syria and Afghanistan.
“At Berliner Platz, he once again rammed [his car] into a group of people. As a result, at least four people, including Syrian and Afghan nationals, were injured, with some of them sustaining serious injuries,” the statement, published on Presseportal.de website, said.
According to law enforcement, the attack took place shortly after midnight. The driver tried to flee to Essen and ram his vehicle into a crowd there as well, but was stopped and arrested by police before he could inflict further damage.
As the authorities specified, the attacker was making anti-foreigner comments during his arrest. They believe the attack was premeditated.
However, as police said, there are some indicators of the attacker suffering from mental illness.
Source: Sputnik
