Stuttgart crash kills one, injures eight in suspected accident

A deadly vehicle collision occurred at a subway stop in Stuttgart on May 2, resulting in the death of one woman and injuries to eight other people. Authorities believe the incident was likely a tragic accident rather than a deliberate attack.

The incident unfolded in the city centre of Stuttgart at an above-ground subway stop, where an SUV driven by an unidentified individual plowed into a group of pedestrians, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

According to a statement released by Stuttgart Police Friday evening, six people sustained minor injuries, while three others were seriously hurt. Among the seriously injured was a 46-year-old woman who later died in hospital due to the severity of her wounds.

The driver of the Mercedes SUV was taken into custody at the scene. Stuttgart police said in an earlier message on X (formerly Twitter) that all current evidence suggested a "tragic traffic accident." They added there was no indication of a deliberate attack.

Police have cordoned off the area as forensic investigators continue examining the scene. Subway services through the affected zone were temporarily suspended, and witnesses are being questioned to help establish the precise sequence of events.

Though Friday's crash appears accidental, it comes against the backdrop of several recent incidents in Germany where vehicles have been used as weapons, intentionally or otherwise.

On February 13, a car-ramming incident at a labour union demonstration in Munich resulted in two deaths and 39 injuries. Authorities arrested a 24-year-old Afghan national, an asylum seeker, who was said to have acted with an Islamic extremist motive.

Earlier, on December 20, 2024, a car slammed into a crowded Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg, killing at least five people and injuring over 200. That incident, too, shocked the nation.

And in June 2022, a 29-year-old German-Armenian man drove his car into a crowd in Berlin, killing one person and injuring dozens more.

By Tamilla Hasanova