Car driven into group near Hanover: three people detained
Police detained three people after a car was apparently deliberately driven into a group in Neustadt am Ruebenberge near Hanover. Five people were hurt, none critically. Those involved appear to have known each other.
Symbolic image · Photo: Nordenfan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Police have detained three people after a car was driven into a group of people in Neustadt am Ruebenberge, northwest of Hanover, the German news agency dpa reported Tuesday. They were found at the address of the registered owner of the car believed to have been used. Police have not yet confirmed whether they were directly involved, and they are presumed innocent.
The car struck the group at around 11:30 p.m. Monday near the town's fairground. Officers conducting a traffic check nearby fired at the vehicle to stop it, and its occupants fled on foot, leaving the car behind. Five people were taken to hospitals with minor and serious injuries, none of them life-threatening, police said. A large police force, a helicopter and a dog were deployed in the search.
Investigators believe the group was targeted deliberately and that those involved knew each other. Police said there was no danger to the public. A witness video reported by broadcaster NDR appears to show an argument before the incident. Bild newspaper reported that Hanover prosecutors are investigating attempted homicide. Police said the course of events and the exact roles of those involved remained under investigation.