PASSAU, Germany — A man drove a Mercedes into a crowd of pedestrians in the southern German city of Passau on Saturday, injuring multiple people, including his wife and young daughter, authorities said. Police are investigating whether the incident was deliberate and possibly linked to a family dispute.
The 48-year-old driver, who has been detained, struck a group of people standing on the pavement, including his 38-year-old wife and their 5-year-old daughter, police said. Officials confirmed that the motive behind the incident is still under investigation but indicated that a personal conflict may have been a factor.
“At present, it cannot be ruled out that the man deliberately drove the vehicle into the group of people,” Passau police said in a statement.
Early witness accounts suggest the incident may be tied to a custody dispute, according to local media. A police spokesperson told Bild that initial interviews with witnesses at the scene pointed to ongoing family tensions involving the driver and his spouse.
The Passauer Neue Presse reported that three individuals were seriously injured in the crash. However, more recent police updates cited one person with moderate injuries and four others with minor injuries.
The Passau criminal investigation department has taken over the case and is conducting an extensive on-site investigation. The exact sequence of events and the total number of people injured have not yet been fully confirmed.
The driver’s identity has not been publicly released, and authorities have not disclosed whether charges have been filed.
The incident has drawn concern in Germany, where recent vehicle-ramming attacks — both intentional and accidental — have heightened public sensitivity around such events. Authorities have not linked the Passau case to terrorism or broader political motives.
