Suspect surrenders over Hanover car-ramming that left man fighting for life
A man suspected of deliberately driving into three men near Hanover on Wednesday night handed himself in to police on Thursday, as a 20-year-old victim remained in mortal danger.
Update ·
Suspect who drove into three men near Hanover has surrendered to police and is being investigated for attempted killing.
Also in:Deutsch
A man suspected of ramming a car into three men in Ronnenberg's Empelde district, near Hanover, on Wednesday night turned himself in at a police station in Wuppertal early on Thursday, Hanover police said.
The car struck the group on a street called Am Sportpark at about 10pm, German federal police said. A 20-year-old man was left in mortal danger, a 19-year-old suffered serious injuries and a second 19-year-old was lightly hurt, broadcaster NDR reported.
Police believe the crash was intentional and have opened an investigation for attempted killing, handing the case to a murder squad, NDR and Tagesschau reported. Officers said an argument had broken out between those involved before the car struck them, though they gave no further detail. The suspect's vehicle, a Chevrolet SUV, has been seized.
Investigators are checking whether a shell casing found at the scene is linked to the attack, though police have not said whether a weapon was fired. Hanover's criminal investigation unit lit the area overnight to gather evidence and questioned witnesses at the scene, federal police said earlier.
Police said they currently see no danger to the wider public and have maintained a visible presence in and around Empelde, offering residents a point of contact for concerns about their safety following the attack.
Follow this story
An email when there is a real update (a new toll, a cause, an arrest). Nothing else; stop with one click.
Free: one story at a time. Members follow as many stories as they like.
What we know
- 1 outlet · Tagesspiegel A man suspected of driving a car into three men in Ronnenberg's Empelde district, near Hanover, turned himself in to police in Wuppertal early on Thursday.
- 1 outlet · NDR A 20-year-old victim was left in mortal danger, a 19-year-old seriously hurt and a third, also 19, lightly injured, NDR reported.
- 2+ outlets · Bundespolizei Presse, Tagesspiegel +3 Police believe the crash was deliberate and are investigating it as attempted killing; a murder squad has taken over the case.
- 2+ outlets · Bundespolizei Presse, Tagesspiegel The suspect's car, a Chevrolet SUV, has been seized; investigators are checking whether a shell casing found at the scene is linked to the attack.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Figure history
PremiumSee how the 2 casualty figures in this story changed, when, and who gave each number.
Why it matters for Europe
This is the second time in two weeks that a car has been driven into a group of people in the Hanover region. Police say a man remains in pre-trial detention over a similar attack three weeks ago in nearby Neustadt am Rübenberge, in which several people were hurt after a car was driven into a crowd; officers linked that case to a feud between two extended families with ties to clan crime. A court upheld that suspect's continued detention after a recent review hearing, NDR reported. Hanover police have since set up a taskforce focused specifically on clan-related offences, and around 22 families from the Neustadt area took up an offer of talks with the mayor and police about their fears for their own safety. Police say they currently see no connection between that case and Wednesday's crash in Empelde.
Updates
·
Suspect who drove into three men near Hanover has surrendered to police and is being investigated for attempted killing.
First published.
Sources
Reported by 6 reports from 6 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- Bundespolizei Presse: POL-H: Ronnenberg (OT Empelde): Auto fährt in Personengruppe - Drei Verletzte, die Polizei fahndet nach flüchtigem Fahrzeug
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: Niedersachsen: Auto fährt in Menschengruppe, Fahrer flüchtet
- Tagesspiegel: Drei Verletzte, Fahrer auf der Flucht: Auto fährt nahe Hannover in Menschengruppe – ein Mann kommt ins Krankenhaus
- NDR: Auto fährt in Ronnenberg in Menschengruppe: Drei Verletzte
- n-tv: Fahrer flüchtet : Auto fährt in Menschengruppe und verletzt drei Personen
Source balance
PremiumSee how the 5 outlets behind this story spread from left to right, and which are official or OSINT sources.
Intelligence file
PremiumSee how we verified this story
Confidence and impact scores, 5 more sources, the full situation report and the event timeline.
Questions and answers
- Where did the crash happen?
- On a street called Am Sportpark in the Empelde district of Ronnenberg, near Hanover, at about 10pm on Wednesday, police said.
- Has a suspect been caught?
- Yes. A man turned himself in to police in Wuppertal early on Thursday and has been taken into custody, Hanover police said.
- How badly were the victims hurt?
- A 20-year-old was left in mortal danger, a 19-year-old was seriously injured and another 19-year-old was lightly hurt, NDR reported.
This article was written with AI assistance from 10 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.