Two members of a family of Greek expatriates living in Germany are among the five victims of the tragic event that took place in the German city of Trier.
The 45-year-old Greek father who was killed was a well-known dentist in the area, along with his 41-year-old wife and their two children.
In addition to the Greek father, one child of the family, just two months old, is also dead.
According to the website Orthodoxia, they are members of the Greek Orthodox community and had gone for a walk in the city.
The wife and the other child of the family, a 1.5-year-old boy, are being treated and are not in danger.
How the tragic incident happened It
It all started on Tuesday afternoon when a 51-year-old man drove his car into a crowd of people on the main pedestrian street of Trier in the Rhineland-Palatinate, near the German border with Luxembourg.
The driver, a 51-year-old German resident of the city, was, as the first examinations showed, under influence of alcohol.
According to a police spokesman, he drove a Range Rover SUV at 70-80 km/h and did not stop. He even zigzagged for four minutes, chasing pedestrians one kilometer to Porta Nigra, the city's main Roman monument.
Crowds gathered on the spot until late last night to honor the victims of the attack.
According to the devastated Wolfram Laibe, the mayor of Trier, it most likely was not a politically, terroristic or religiously motivated attack.
However, it is unknown whether the perpetrator, who was arrested immediately, is able to give explanations.
"It's the darkest day since World War II. I want to know why someone would do such a thing, but I do not know if I will get an answer," said Laibe.
The perpetrator shows signs of mental disorder. In the last few days he had left his house and slept in the car, which he had borrowed.
During a press conference, Prosecutor Peter Fritzen stated that the 51-year-old had consumed a large amount of alcohol and will be asked to be kept in a psychiatric center in order to determine whether he is able to be held accountable.
Apart from the baby, three women, 25, 52 and 73 years old, as well as a 45-year-old man, all residents of Trier, died tragically. The baby's mother is being treated for injuries.
Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her sorrow for the attack:
"I am deeply saddened by the news from Trier. I sympathize with the families of those who lost their lives so suddenly and so violently. My thoughts are also with the people who were injured, in some cases very seriously, and I wish them strength."
