Man who drove into carnival crowd injured 52, German police say

Feb. 25 (UPI) -- German authorities said Tuesday a man who drove into a carnival procession in Volksmarsen injured more than 50 people, and a man who stood by and filmed the crash might also be in some legal trouble.

Police say the driver rammed the crowd in the north-central German town on Monday, about 70 miles southwest of Hanover. They believe the act was intentional.

Officials said Tuesday 52 people were injured in the collision, more of half of whom were hospitalized.

Investigators said the driver is a 29-year-old German man who's being held on charges of attempted murder. Prosecutors also said another man who shot cellphone video of the crash was detained for possible intrusion into personal privacy.

Officials said the driver was slightly injured, but investigators haven't yet come up with a motive. They said they have not ruled out terrorism.

All other carnival parades celebrating Rosenmontag in Hesse state were canceled after the incident. The parades are an annual staple in Volksmarsen before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Catholic season of Lent, and are popular in Germany's Rhineland region.