At about 14:45 local time, a silver Mercedes Benz car drove through plastic barricades and into a carnival crowd in the German town of Volkmarsen. The incident took place during Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) celebrations, authorities in the Hesse state cancelled all carnival parades as a "precaution" following this incident. Several eyewitnesses reported seeing the vehicle accelerate towards the crowd.

About a third of the victims were children, and seven people are currently in serious condition. Emergency response teams reported no fatalities.

As of now, a local 29 year-old German citizen was arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide. While officials say that the motive is unclear, police believe it was an attack but there was no indication of political or religious motive. The suspect is currently receiving medical treatment and will be questioned soon. Police urged witnesses to not share images or footage of the incident to avoid spreading rumors or misinformation.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that her thoughts are with the injured and their relatives. She also thanked police forces and medical services for their work at the scene.