State governor Malu Dreyer said the dead included a young child and condemned it as a « brutal act. »
A baby was among four people killed and 15 injured when a car tore through a pedestrian shopping street in the southwestern German city of Trier on Tuesday, police said, after arresting the driver. Prosecutor Peter Fritzen said the driver, a 51-year-old Trier native, appeared to be suffering from « psychiatric problems » and had been under the influence of alcohol whilst at the wheel of his silver SUV. Police, who have been questioning the suspect, said they had « no indications of a political motive. » Prosecutors are considering requesting that the suspect be placed in psychiatric care, Fritzen told reporters. At the same press conference, Trier mayor Wolfram Leibe said among the dead were a nine-month-old baby and a 73-year-old woman. « I think this is Trier’s darkest day since World War II, » he said. « It’s a horror scene. » Also killed were a 25-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man. Fifteen people were injured, several seriously. Malu Dreyer, premier of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate where Trier is located, expressed shock that a baby was among those killed by the driver’s « insane act » and shared her condolences with all the affected families.
