Truck crashes into pedestrians killing mum and injuring daughter and 5 others

Police seize lorry

Where is Passau?

Passau is a city in Lower Bavaria, Germany, also known as the Dreiflüssestadt.

Home to around 50,000 residents, it sits on the border with Austria and is popular with tourists from around the world due to its natural beauty and religious pilgrimage.

Known as the Three Rivers City, it is overlooked by the Veste Oberhaus, a 13th-century hilltop fortress housing a city museum and observation tower.

Police statement

Police are continuing to investigate the crash that killed one woman and injured six others earlier today.

The said in a statement: "On Friday morning a serious traffic accident occurred on Bahnhofstrasse in Passau. A truck hit several people, a woman died and four other pedestrians were seriously injured. The truck driver was also injured.

“According to previous findings, the 63-year-old truck driver continued his journey after making a delivery, drove past a stopped vehicle and hit six pedestrians.”

Driver doing double the speed limit killed 2 boys as they played on their bikes

Mayor 'deeply affected and shocked'

Passau Mayor Jürgen Dupper says his heart goes out to the victims after this morning's tragedy in Germany.

“I am deeply affected and shocked by today’s truck accident," he said in a statement. "In such events, our full sympathy goes out to the people affected and their families.

"I would like to say a sincere thank you to the police, the emergency doctors, the paramedics, the fire department and all other rescue organisations who carried out their work in an exemplary manner under the dire circumstances. This misfortune means the worst possible end to 2023.”

Emergency services rush to the scene this morning

Truck 'drove into middle of pedestrian zone'

The huge truck went into the 'middle of pedestrian zone' according to one witness.

Speaking to BILD, they said: “As far as I know, a truck drove into a group of people. In the middle of the pedestrian zone in the train station district near the H&M and Woolworth shops.”

Another eyewitness told the publication: “It was a red 7.5-ton truck.”

The scene in Bahnhofstrasse in Passau

Driver 'drove past a stopped vehicle'

The force said the accident happened at just before 10am in downtown Passau.

They said: “According to previous findings, the 63-year-old truck driver continued his journey after making a delivery, drove past a stopped vehicle and hit six pedestrians.”

One death reported so far

A woman aged 37 died at the scene this morning, police have confirmed.

Her child - understood to be 11-years-old - is one of the injured, and has been taken to hospital.

The driver, a 63-year-old man, is also receiving treatment alongside four other pedestrians.