German police rule out attack after car kills one in Stuttgart

Police and other members of the emergency services work at the scene where a car crashed in to a group of people in Stuttgart, southern Germany on May 2, 2025 injuring several people. Police in the southern German city of Stuttgart said Germany on May 2, 2025 there were “no indications of an attack” after a car drove into a crowd in the city centre, injuring several. (Photo by Andreas ROSAR / AFP)

BERLIN (AFP) — A car drove into a crowd in the southern German city of Stuttgart Friday, killing one person and injuring seven others but there was “no indication” it was an attack, police said.

German security services have been on high alert following several deadly car-ramming attacks in recent months, including in the eastern city of Magdeburg and the southern city of Munich.

Police in Stuttgart however said on their X account that “based on our current investigations… our colleagues at the scene believe this was a tragic accident”.

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The police said the incident in the central Olgaeck district had left “eight injured, including three seriously hurt”. At least one person had to be resuscitated.

One of those seriously hurt, a 46-year-old woman, later died in hospital from her injuries.

A police spokeswoman told AFP that “at around 5:50 pm a black G-class Mercedes drove into a group of people” and that “the driver was arrested”.

Police warned people to avoid Stuttgart city centre and said that there was disruption to traffic.

A mangled push-chair was visible in images from the scene. The Bild daily reported witnesses as saying that a woman with a push-chair had been one of those hit by the car.