BMW strikes group near Hanover, injuring four to five

Police said a BMW was deliberately driven into a group of people shortly before midnight Monday in Neustadt am Rübenberge, near Hanover, injuring four to five people. The occupants fled after officers fired at the vehicle and remained at large on Tuesday as the search continued. The injured people were taken to hospital, police said. Their injuries ranged from minor to serious, but none was described as life-threatening. The incident occurred in Lower Saxony, where a nearby patrol was conducting a traffic check when the car struck the group. Officers fired shots at the BMW, according to a police spokesperson. The occupants abandoned the vehicle and escaped on foot. Police said an initial search had not located them. The number of people who had been inside the car was not known. Initial information suggested that those involved knew one another and that the group had been deliberately targeted rather than struck at random, police said. Investigators were still examining the sequence of events and the precise roles of those involved. The motive had not been established. Police secured the area and continued collecting evidence. One report said a helicopter and dog unit were...