At a show for American classic cars in Hanover, a driver drove his car into a group of people and injured five visitors. Two women aged 20 and 32 suffered serious injuries, the police said in the evening.
According to initial investigations, officials assume it was an accident. The driver of the accident vehicle said he lost control of his car. “Probably due to a technical defect,” said a police spokeswoman. “That matches the reports of the eyewitnesses.”
So far unknown cause
The 57-year-old driver is being investigated, among other things, for negligent bodily harm. The incident happened in the afternoon. The event had been announced for Saturday and Sunday. According to the city of Hanover, the auto show was the “Street Mag Show” – a show at which American cars from the 1930s to 1980s were presented. Accordingly, it should be “Germany’s largest American car
According to the police, the driver was driving his dark green Ford Mustang on the event site when he drove into the group of people for reasons that have not yet been explained. There were several thousand people there at the time.
An eyewitness told the “Bild”: “The dark green Mustang drove in front of the stage, suddenly became faster and turned towards the audience.” Witnesses told the newspaper how people are said to have been hit by the car and thrown several meters through the air. The Hanover fire brigade announced that at 2:25 p.m. several emergency calls about the accident had been received by the regional control center. Five ambulances, four emergency doctors and a fire engine from the fire brigade then moved to the Schützenplatz.
Two women seriously injured
Initially, the fire brigade and police reported five seriously injured people. The police then updated the information in coordination with the fire department. Accordingly, two women aged 20 and 32 were seriously injured. The condition of the 32-year-old has since been classified as life-threatening, said a police spokesman. The woman was later out of danger. In addition, three other men aged 20, 23 and 61 were slightly injured. All of the injured were taken to hospitals.
According to the organizers, the event continued. But there shouldn’t be any show elements for the time being, said organizer Anna Kuczora of the “Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung”. “It’s a big shock. I’m still speechless.” Also on the basis of witness statements, the investigators rule out that the 57-year-old had intentionally driven into the visitors. The exact course of events and the cause have yet to be determined, said the police spokeswoman. The Ford Mustang was impounded. The vehicle should be technically checked further.
Police officers from the Traffic Accident Service launched an investigation. They measured and photographed the accident car, whose windshield was shattered.
