Police probe motive behind car ramming

FRANKFURT: Investigators are probing the motives of a 35-yearold German student who rammed his car into a group of pedestrians, killing one person and injuring two others, officials said on Sunday, ruling out terrorism.

The suspect is being formally held on suspicion of murder and attempted murder over Saturday’s incident in the picturesque southwestern city of Heidelberg, local police and prosecutors said in a statement.

The accused, who was shot and wounded by police after fleeing the scene on foot while wielding a knife, is in hospital recovering from surgery.

A 73-year-old German man died from his injuries hours after being hit by the car.

A 32-year-old Austrian and a 29-year-old Bosnian woman, both Heidelberg residents, were lightly hurt while a fourth person was able to jump out of the way, according to the statement.

The driver was questioned by investigators for the first time on Sunday after waking up from surgery but did not comment on the accusations against him, the officials said.

“His motive remains unknown,” they said, adding that it had yet to be determined if the suspect had acted with diminished criminal responsibility. Media reports have suggested the accused may suffer from psychiatric problems, but the authorities have so far not commented directly on those claims.