German car attack kills 5, wounds 15

BERLIN

Five people were killed and 15 others injured when a driver plowed a car into pedestrians in the German city of Trier on Tuesday.

Police said a 51-year-old German suspect was arrested minutes after the attack and taken for questioning.

Chief prosecutor Peter Fritzen said initial findings indicate the attack was not terror-related, and the suspect had no criminal record.

“There are indications of a psychiatric illness,” he told reporters, adding the suspect was drunk.

A nine-month-old baby and a 73-year-old woman are among the victims, police chief Franz-Dieter Ankner said.

Four victims are in a critical condition, while five others sustained serious injuries.

Witnesses said the car drove through pedestrians at a high speed in the western town.

German Chancellor Angel Merkel said "the news from Trier saddens her so much" and sent condolences to relatives of those who were killed.

She said she was in touch with local officials about the investigation.

Recent years have seen several attacks in which cars have been driven into pedestrians in Europe and the US.