Suspect arrested after car driven into group of people near Hannover

Police have arrested a suspect after a car was driven into a group of people in Neustadt am Ruebenberge near Hannover, prosecutors and police said in a joint statement. The man is suspected of attempted manslaughter in five cases, and there is strong suspicion that he deliberately drove at several people, they said. He is to appear before a judge soon.

The driver steered his car into a small group late Monday evening. At least five people suffered minor to serious injuries. Officers carrying out a traffic check nearby fired at the vehicle to stop the attack. The driver abandoned the car and fled.

Investigators believe those involved knew each other. "According to our current findings, the attack was directed at specific people and not at bystanders," police chief Gwendolin von der Osten said. An earlier report of three temporary arrests was the result of an internal communication error, police said.