Car-ramming as a deadly weapon of mass casualties: A look at its history

The first day of 2025 saw 15 people being killed and 35 injured when a man deliberately drove his pick-up truck into a crowd of New Year's revellers in New Orleans, US.

It came almost two weeks after the Magdeburg car-ramming attack in Germany by an anti-Islam man, which killed five people and injured at least 200 others.

While the proximity of the two incidents might give the impression of a recently emerging trend, the weaponisation of vehicles in mass killings has a deeply troubling history.

Here are some of the most prominent incidents worldwide.

China, 2024

On November 11, 2024, a 62-year-old man named Fan Weiqiu drove his SUV into a crowd of approximately 300 people exercising outside a sports centre.

The attack resulted in 35 fatalities and 43 injuries, making it one of the deadliest incidents of its kind in recent Chinese history. Weiqiu's motive was reportedly linked to his dissatisfaction with his divorce settlement.

About a week later, on November 19, a 39-year-old man named Huang Wen drove his SUV into a crowd outside the Yong'an Primary School in China’s Hunan province. The attack injured 30 people, including 18 students.

Fan Weiqiu was sentenced to death late last month.

US, 2020

During the George Floyd protests in 2020, between May 27 and September 27, 2020, at least 104 car-ramming incidents were recorded, resulting in at least two fatalities. Of these, 43 were deemed malicious, leading to 39 individuals being charged.

Canada, 2021

On June 6, 2021, 23-year-old Nathaniel Veltman deliberately drove his pickup truck into a Pakistani Muslim family who were out for an evening walk in Ontario.

The attack resulted in the deaths of Salman Afzaal, 46; his wife, Madiha Salman, 44; their daughter, Yumna Afzaal, 15; and Salman’s mother, Talat Afzaal, 74. The couple's nine-year-old son survived but sustained serious injuries.

France/Germany, 2016

In July 14, 2016, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, 31, a Tunisian-born French resident, drove into a Bastille Day crowd in Nice, France, killing at least 84 people and injuring 434 others.

About five months later, a similar incident was seen in Berlin, Germany, where a truck was deliberately driven into the crowded Breitscheidplatz Christmas market, resulting in 12 fatalities and injuring dozens more.

The attack in Germany was carried out by Anis Amri, another Tunisian national who had been denied asylum in Germany.

Netherlands, 2009

On April 30, 2009, a 38-year-old man named Karst Tates drove his Suzuki Swift at high speed into a crowd of spectators gathered to watch a parade featuring Queen Beatrix and other members of the Dutch royal family.

The attack resulted in eight fatalities, including Tates himself. Investigations revealed that Tates, a former security guard, had been facing financial difficulties and personal issues.

Czechoslovakia, 1973

On July 10, 1973, in Prague, Czechoslovakia, 22-year-old Olga Hepnarova drove a rented truck into a group of people waiting at a tram stop near Strossmayer Square. The attack resulted in eight fatalities and twelve injuries.

Prior to the incident, Hepnarova had sent letters to two newspapers, explaining her actions as revenge against society for perceived mistreatment. On March 12, 1975, Hepnarova was executed by hanging, becoming the last woman executed in Czechoslovakia.

Taiwan, 1964

One of the earliest known instances of a vehicle-ramming attack dates back to August 31, 1964 in Taipei, Taiwan, when a bus driver, “angered by a section chief who gave him low service marks,” drove his bus into a crowd, resulting in three fatalities.