Representative image of German police
None of the injured was reported to be in a life-threatening condition, according to German broadcaster NDR. Police launched a search involving a helicopter and a police dog, but the operation had been unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
A police spokesperson said four to five people were injured, with injuries ranging from minor to serious. “The driver deliberately targeted them,” a police spokeswoman said, according to NDR, adding that the incident involved a “small group of people”. Police said a patrol conducting a routine traffic check nearby intervened during the incident, preventing further harm. The suspects apparently fled on foot, leaving the vehicle behind, according to NDR.
The injured were taken to hospitals. Officers fired shots at the BMW in an attempt to stop it, but the occupants managed to escape. Images and video footage from the scene showed armed police officers, including personnel carrying submachine guns. The abandoned blue BMW reportedly had a flat front tyre. A silver Mercedes with a broken rear window was also seen nearby, although authorities had not established whether it was connected to the incident. Police are continuing their search for the suspects and investigating the circumstances of the incident. Authorities are yet to clarify the motive, establish the exact number of injured people or determine whether the nearby Mercedes was involved.
Several people were injured after a BMW was allegedly driven deliberately into a group of people in Neustadt am Rübenberge, near Hanover in northern Germany, shortly before midnight on Monday. The vehicle’s occupants fled after police fired shots at the car and remained at large, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing police.