In Gießen, a 32-year-old driver crashed into a bus stop, injuring four people. Police are investigating the circumstances, deeming a terrorist motive unlikely and examining a possible illness of the driver. The incident occurred near a Christmas market.
On Monday afternoon, December 22, a serious traffic accident occurred in Gießen's city center, in the Südanlage area. A 32-year-old man from Azerbaijan, who lives in Gießen, first collided with two other vehicles at a traffic light. He continued driving, veered into oncoming traffic, and crashed into a car near a bus stop. A woman nearby was seriously injured, as a police spokesperson reported that evening. Three other people sustained minor injuries, including the driver himself. The exact nature of the injuries to the two other victims was initially unclear.
The driver was provisionally arrested. Police cordoned off the accident area and erected privacy screens. The Hessian State Criminal Police Office took over the investigation and is pursuing all directions, including possible influence from alcohol or drugs. Hesse's Interior Minister Roman Poseck (CDU) stated that evening: «A political or even terrorist motive is rather unlikely based on the current findings.» He added: «It appears possible at the current stage that an illness is the cause of the driver's behavior.» The woman's serious injury resulted not from a deliberate ramming but from the collision with another vehicle.
The incident happened just before Christmas near a well-attended Christmas market, whose operations continued uninterrupted. Poseck emphasized: «Especially so close to Christmas, this incident is particularly distressing.» There is no danger to the public. Police are seeking witnesses and request uploads of photos and videos via a portal (https://he.hinweisportal.de/lage_ppmh_gieszen) or the phone line +49 641 7006-6555.
