One person was killed after a car drove into a crowd of people in the southwestern German city of Stuttgart, police said on Saturday.

After a preliminary investigation, Stuttgart Police said they believe it was a tragic traffic accident.

The incident comes after a number of deadly car-ramming attacks in recent months have put the country on high alert.

3 victims seriously injured

The traffic accident occurred when a Mercedes G-Class SUV came around a corner and drove into a group of people who were waiting at a tram stop in the neighborhood of Olgaeck.

Eight people were injured in the accident, three of whom were seriously injured.

One person had to be resuscitated at the scene, police said. A 46-year-old woman later died from her injuries in the hospital.

According to police, the driver of the vehicle, a 42-year-old man, was not injured and was arrested. A police spokesperson said he was being questioned.

"There are currently no indications of an attack or a deliberate act," police said on X.

The vehicle involved in the incident remained at the scene and a police spokesperson said services at the metro stop had been suspended.

Victims treated at the scene

Police said Friday evening that an operation was continuing and that there were currently severe traffic restrictions in the center of Stuttgart, which is the capital of Baden-Württemberg.

Meanwhile, the Stuttgart Fire Brigade said it responded to a serious traffic accident with multiple injuries in the center of the city.

"The area is cordoned off and the injured are being treated at the scene," it said on X.

Several people were killed in two major car-ramming attacks in the eastern city of Magdeburg just before Christmas and in the southern city of Munichin February.

Edited by: Zac Crellin