Car rams into group of pedestrians, injuring several people, as German cops open fire at driver

Several people were injured after a car drove into a group of people in a northern German town close to Hanover shortly before midnight on Monday, a police spokesperson said on Tuesday.

A BMW was driven deliberately into a group of people in Neustadt am Ruebenberge, leaving four to five of them with injuries ranging from minor to severe, the spokesperson said.

A police patrol that was nearby carrying out a routine traffic check intervened and prevented further harm. 

Officers fired shots at the vehicle during the incident, the spokesperson said.

Emergency services deployed numerous personnel including heavily armed police, who secured the crime scene. 

A helicopter and a police dog were also deployed. The crime scene was cordoned off for several hours.

Initial information suggests those involved were known to each other. The occupants of the BMW fled and remain at large, the spokesperson added.

'The sequence of events and the exact involvement of those involved are still part of the investigation,' said the police spokesperson. 

This is a breaking news story. More to follow.