A Syrian man, 32, has been arrested on suspicion of hijacking a truck and ramming it into traffic in western Germany on Monday night.

The Public Prosecutor's Office in Frankfurt said the suspect stole the vehicle before crashing into traffic at an intersection in the city of Limburg.

Seven cars and a small van were pushed together by the impact, injuring eight people.

The suspect was arrested immediately at the scene of the crime by several federal police officers who happened to be in the vicinity of the crime scene.

Prosecutor Ralf Badle declined to comment on the motive for the attack on Tuesday, saying the incident was being treated as attempted murder.

Police searched two addresses linked to the suspect where they seized mobile phones and USB sticks, Badle said. “We can’t give specific details about the motive,” he added. “All possibilities are being investigated.”

The incident occurred almost three years after a Tunisian failed asylum seeker killed 12 people by driving a truck into a Berlin Christmas market.