Highlights
- Father and baby daughter of Greek family included in victims of Trier’s fatal car accident
- The driver was reportedly under the influence of alcohol and suffering "psychiatric problems"
- Politicians in Germany and Greece expressed their grief over the incident
A 51-year old drove through a crowd of pedestrians, leaving behind five dead and 14 injured.
Amongst the victims is 45-year-old dentist Yiorgos Kolimpiris and his 9 weeks’ old daughter held in his arms at the time of the collision.
It was also reported that his wife and their son, a 1.5 year-old-boy, were being hospitalised in stable condition.
They appear to have been only a few metres away from the pedestrian street where the care tore through. The family of Greek expatriates were known in the local community and parish.
READ MORE
Sudden arrest of Notis Sfakianakis
In the aftermath of the incident, the Mayor of Trier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias were amongst those who released statements expressing condolences.
Timeline of the tragedy
Witnesses said the 51-year-old SUV driver ploughed his car into a central pedestrian street of the town, situated close to Germany’s borders with Luxembourg.
According to prosecutor Peter Fritzen, the man had been under the influence of alcohol and appeared to be suffering from "psychiatric problems".
Following his arrest and questioning, police rejected any “indications of a political motive”.
The fatal incident took place at around 1.50 pm local time on Tuesday. While emergency services arrived promptly at the scene intercepting the 51-year-old, he had already left a trail of destruction driving for about a kilometre.
Along with the 45-year-old Greek expat and his baby daughter, three women lost their lives, aged 25, 52 and 73.
