An incredible incident occurs in Witzenhausen in northern Hesse: A 30-year-old is said to have purposely driven his car into a group of schoolchildren.
Witzenhausen – In northern Hesse, a car collides with a group of school children. In the meantime, the investigation is no longer for an accident, but for murder. The public prosecutor and the police announced on Monday (November 1st, 2021) that there was a suspicion that the driver had deliberately steered the car into the group. The 30-year-old has meanwhile been placed in a psychiatric hospital. According to the investigating authorities, there were suspicions that he “suffers from a considerable psychiatric illness and, according to the current state of knowledge, this could have been the cause of the decision to commit the act”.
The 30-year-old is said to have driven a car into the group of schoolchildren on Friday in Witzenhausen on a sidewalk in front of a daycare center. An eight-year-old girl died of serious injuries in the hospital a few hours later. In addition, two girls, aged seven and eight, were seriously injured.
Initially, the investigators assumed an accident, and there were no indications of intent initially. In the course of further investigations, however, a previously unknown witness came forward, it said on Monday. According to the authorities, the information he provided made the events appear “in a completely different light”. Both this fact and the preliminary opinion of an expert led to a reassessment of the case, according to a spokesman for the Kassel public prosecutor.
The police and the public prosecutor speak of “urgent suspicion” of an intentional act
According to the public prosecutor and the police, there is now “an urgent suspicion that the 30-year-old made an active steering movement in the direction of the elementary school pupils and consequently deliberately caused the death of a child and the injury of several children”. However, there are no indications of an extremist or terrorist background. The investigation is now on suspicion of attempted and completed insidious murder, dangerous bodily harm and dangerous interference in road traffic. The 30-year-old himself is said to have spoken of a “blackout” during his interrogation.
The non-party mayor of Witzenhausen Daniel Herz, formerly an employee of the Kripo himself, called the police and the public prosecutor’s office that afternoon. “The mood in the village has been very depressing since Friday, regardless of whether it was an accident or intent,” said Herz to the German press agency. He feels the turn in the case is “surprising”. Most citizens would have assumed “that there is something medical behind it”. However, there were probably no skid marks.
Population of Witzenhausen with great sympathy after the death of a school child
Even for the district administrator of the Werra-Meißner district, Stefan Reuss (SPD), this turn of events is “very surprising”. Based on the previously known information, this was not to be suspected. The mood in Witzenhausen is still “very depressed”. The sympathy of the population is very high and is “just reinforced by this news”.
Other investigations in the case include the analysis of a blood sample from the 30-year-old man for possible substances such as alcohol, drugs, or medication. In addition, his culpability will play a role.
The fatal car ride from Witzenhausen recalls several incidents in the recent past in which pedestrians were hit by cars and died or suffered injuries. The suspected car attack on the Rose Monday procession in Volkmarsen in northern Hesse in February 2020 caused horror. A 31-year-old is said to have intentionally driven into the crowd. 90 people, including many children, suffered serious injuries. In total, the public prosecutor’s office assumes that more than 150 people have been affected. The 31-year-old German is currently on trial, including attempted murder. (msc with dpa)
