"Several people injured after being hit by a car in the pedestrian zone in #Trier. Please avoid the area, the police are on site together with other emergency services", an official statement published on Twitter read.
"We arrested one person and one vehicle was seized. According to the initial reports, two people have died. Please continue to avoid the city centre", another tweet said.
Mehrere Verletzte, die von einem Auto angefahren wurden, in der Fußgängerzone in #Trier. Bitte meidet den Bereich, die Polizei ist gemeinsam mit weiteren Einsatzkräften vor Ort.
— Polizei Trier (@PolizeiTrier) December 1, 2020
Wir haben eine Person festgenommen, ein Fahrzeug wurde sichergestellt. Zwei Menschen sind nach ersten Erkenntnissen verstorben. Bitte meidet weiterhin die Innenstadt. #Trier #TR0112
— Polizei Trier (@PolizeiTrier) December 1, 2020
An ambulance and several helicopters have been spotted near the site of the tragedy. It remains unclear whether the driver deliberately rammed into people or it was an accident.
Several photos and videos have been published allegedly depicting the downtown area after the incident.
Commenting on the incident, Trier’s city executive Wolfram Leibe stated that the driver crashed into pedestrians in a "fit of rage".
"The driver was running amok," the city executive said, as aired by the SWR broadcaster.
Hier wird die mutmaßliche Fahrerin von der Polizei weggetragen.#trier pic.twitter.com/9rE6pqRpvT
— Onkel_Kurt (@kurt_onkel) December 1, 2020
The driver was a German citizen, aged 51, N24 broadcaster reported citing police. His motives are unknown.
Video 2: Car accident in Trier, Germanyhttps://t.co/VhZOvOWaHr
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) December 1, 2020
Last week, another car-ramming incident occurred in Germany when a 54-year-old man crashed into the gate of Chancellor Angela Merkel's office in Berlin.
The incident came as Merkel was holding a virtual meeting with German state premiers to discuss steps to deal with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
