Woman killed and five injured after truck crashes into pedestrians in German town

Holly Evans and Maryam Zakir-Hussain
·2 min read
Fire and rescue services stand at the scene of a car accident in the city center in Passau (AP)
Fire and rescue services stand at the scene of a car accident in the city center in Passau (AP)

A woman has been killed and five others injured after a truck driver crashed into pedestrians in a town in Germany.

The incident unfolded at around 9.50am in downtown Passau and sparked a major emergency services response, with an 11-year-old child among those reportedly injured.

The truck driver also required medical treatment and had to be freed from the driver’s cab.

A police spokesperson told the German newspaper Bild: “According to previous findings, the 63-year-old truck driver continued his journey after making a delivery, drove past a stopped vehicle and hit six pedestrians.”

An eyewitness also told the publication: “As far as I know, a truck drove into a group of people. In the middle of the pedestrian zone in the train station district near the H&M and Woolworth shops.”

Emergency services from the police, fire department and ambulance stand at the scene of an accident in the city center in Passau, Germany (AP)
Emergency services from the police, fire department and ambulance stand at the scene of an accident in the city center in Passau, Germany (AP)

Passau is a city in Germany’s Lower Bavaria, also known as the Dreiflüssestadt.

Jürgen Dupper, mayor of Passau, said in a statement: “I am deeply affected and shocked by today’s truck accident.

“In such events, our full sympathy goes out to the people affected and their families.

“I would like to say a sincere thank you to the police, the emergency doctors, the paramedics, the fire department and all other rescue organisations who carried out their work in an exemplary manner under the dire circumstances. This misfortune means the worst possible end to 2023.”

Lower Bavaria Police later said in an update on Friday afternoon: “The accident truck was seized for a detailed technical inspection and is currently being towed away. As soon as new information is available, we will report promptly.”

Police said an investigation was ongoing, as a spokeswoman told German news agency dpa that they are “currently assuming that this was an accident situation.”