Prosecutors in western Germany say a man who repeatedly drove into crowds early on New Year's Day and injured 14 people can't be held criminally responsible because of his mental condition.

Prosecutors in the city of Essen said Monday they based their decision on an expert opinion. They are calling for the 50-year-old German man to be kept at a psychiatric hospital.

The man drove into people in the city of Bottrop and then in nearby Essen in the early hours of Jan. 1.

At the time, police said the driver made anti-foreigner comments during his arrest and there were indications he'd been treated for mental illness in the past.

The injured people included a 46-year-old Syrian woman who suffered life-threatening injuries.