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The lawyer did not comment on the circumstances of the accident The police and public prosecutor's office are investigating seven counts of involuntary manslaughter and involuntary bodily harm They let the 42-year-old German man go on Saturday and he was not remanded in custody A spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office explained that there were no grounds for detention Joe highly recommends the video below from KLRT-TV in Little Rock It’s a heartwarming look into Buccaneers fourth-round draft pick David Walker, the edge rusher who ignited the Bucs’ draft war room like Joe is when the Hooters Buffalo Shrimp arrive Literally, Bucs officials were jacked up to add Walker at the No. 121 overall pick. Walker is old for a rookie; he turns 25 in June (more than a year older than Chris Braswell) and the team believes he can contribute quickly after a very impressive college career, albeit at Central Arkansas University. Few if any NFL players come from small-town Stuttgart, Arkansas. In the video below, you’ll see Walker on draft night in his hometown, where duck hunting and a world championship duck calling contest is an annual competition.  It’s easy for Joe to root for Walker, a small-school guy with a short but powerful frame, a guy who worked his way up from the Division II ranks.  And as much as the Bucs are yearning for edge rush help, Walker will get every opportunity to shine. Joe, don’t you think it’s about time we draft a pass rusher that contributes immediately? This Walker kid, I predict will be that guy. Six sacks this year, that should do it. A great story about a good kid. Coming from a small school he will overwhelmed with info. Let’s see how fast he can learn. Aaron Donald 6’1 284….David Walker 6″1 265 I like him but I just hate that he’s already 25. Ducks… Wow! Now how do I make cool nickname with ducks and Stutgart? Quack attack? Stutgart Stud? Honk! Honk! Honk! says the crowd at Ray Jay! Seriously Joe. Good stuff! Good luck and welcome aboard Mr Walker! Enough with the old stuff. Dare you to call Vea, Evans or Mayfiield old. LOL Last year we draft a stud Ducks RB, a duck gets national attention on our field, we draft a duck sized Ducks WR, now we draft a guy from duck calling championship town, WHAT THE DUCK IS GOING ON? To the earlier comment, 25 isn’t too old. If we get 5 years from him that is better than most draft picks and would out him close to slowing down or retiring. No one can play forever!! I like the story, this was great. I think he will be a good addition. I agree, Don’t like that he is 25. There are not many drafted players at 25 went on to become dominat players in the NFL. I think they there is not much room for growth at that age. Of course nobody can play forever but some players have been retiring earlier & earlier recently, too! jts played this past season at 25 with a few years under his belt, how did that work out? walker being 25 not sure what the problem is, what matters is if hes good or not This is my guy from this draft. Very exciting 25 years old = polished pass rusher And it so happens that is exactly what the talking heads kept saying about him . I predict he will produce sacks early. His hand work is excellent and he has a knack for getting under O-linemen pads and getting leverage on them . I look forward to him using the spin move. Many said Dwight Freeney was too short or too undersized. Walker actually reminds me of Dwight Freeney.Great get in the 4th . As always Go Bucs At 25 he has 4-5 years of stupid sh!t behind him. He knows he’s on a very short leach. Produce now or goodbye. Not like having JTS take up valuable space on the field and roster and waiting (and waiting) for him to do something. That was my biggest bitch about the Bucs- -keeping an ineffective player FOR YEARS! I hope this draft turns out as good as the last! And I hope DW plays a huge role in that. Time will tell! I’m hopeful! I do like the strategy of picking edge guys in the later rounds. Let’s face it he has to be more productive than JTS et al. For those that point to shorter players such as Reddick, Ngakoue, Elvis Dumervil, these are typically the exception to the norm. The norm? Jose Rameriz, Marquees Watts. I hope we snagged another version of Shaq Barrett. We will see. XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong> With the injured Australia star on the sidelines having had surgery last week on a foot injury that will also rule him out of the Socceroos' crucial FIFA World Cup qualifyiers in Perth against Japan and in Jeddah against Saudi Arabia in June, St Pauli suffered further pain with two red cards against Stuttgart. Goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj was shown two yellow cards in quick succession and a subsequent red in the 96th minute, following teammate Siebe Van der Heyden down the tunnel after he had been dismissed for a second booking in the 57th minute. That led to a penalty, which Vasilj saved from Woltemade's attempt, but the Stuttgart striker would exact revenge before Vasilj saw red. Pauli is five points clear of the relegation play-off spot, but still not mathematically safe. It faces a trip to Eintracht Frankfurt next weekend before finishing its season at home against already relegation Bochum, and would expect to the one positive result it needs to stay up from those matches. After three games without a win, Stuttgart is back in the winners' circle and remains an outside chance of a place in European competition next season. It sits in 10th spot, six points off the top six with two matchdays remaining, but will need results from other matches to go its way if it is to sneak into the European picture. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Several people have been injured after a vehicle crashed into a crowd of pedestrians in Stuttgart Emergency services responded to reports of a collision involving multiple people outside Olgaeck underground train station in the southwestern German city at around 5.50pm on Friday (May 2) While the Stuttgart fire department referred to the event as an “accident” in a post on the social media platform X, police said it was too early to determine the cause. According to news agency dpa, the incident happened at an above-ground subway stop in downtown Stuttgart. The driver who was behind the wheel of the dark-colored Mercedes vehicle was arrested, a police spokesperson told reporters. Several people have been injured, with some individuals sustaining serious injuries. An investigation is currently underway, and the area was cordoned off as emergency responders, police and forensic specialists examined the scene. Traffic restrictions are in place in the city centre, with Charlottenstrasse shut between Charlottenplatz and Alexanderstrasse. Witnesses were being interviewed, and subway service through the area was suspended. Photos from the scene showed plastic gloves, blankets and bags scattered on the ground near the SUV. 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Emergency personnel work at the scene where a vehicle collided into a group of people in Stuttgart (Marco Krefting/dpa via AP) MARCO KREFTING / AP A car drove into a crowd in the southern German city of Stuttgart on Friday Stuttgart police said on their X account that "a car has driven into a group of people" in the central Olgaeck area while the fire service said on its account that there were "several hurt Police soon added that there were "no indications of an attack" after a car drove into a crowd in the city centre "Based on our current investigations (...) our colleagues at the scene believe this was a tragic accident," the police force said in a statement on its X account Police have warned people to avoid Stuttgart's city center and said that there was severe disruption to traffic A police spokeswoman told AFP that "at around 5:50 pm a black G-class Mercedes drove into a group of people" and that "the driver was arrested." The police said the incident in the central Olgaeck district had left "eight injured including three seriously hurt." At least one person had to be resuscitated later died in the hospital from her injuries German security services have been on high alert following several deadly car-ramming attacks in recent months, including in the eastern city of Magdeburg and in the southern city of Munich Police warned people to avoid the Stuttgart city center and said that there was disruption to traffic Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez mais en les utilisant à des moments différents Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article merci de contacter notre service commercial The hosts are in 14th place with 31 points six points clear of the 16th-placed relegation playoff spot with three games remaining limiting them to just one big chance.  The clean sheet was their first in five matches and it highlights their solid defensive record with the third-best defensive record in the Bundesliga having conceded only 36 goals this season.  Head coach Alexander Blessin’s side will secure survival if they win and 16th-placed Heidenheim fail to beat last-placed VfL Bochum on Friday They will also remain a Bundesliga team if they avoid defeat and Heidenheim loses St Pauli are unbeaten in their last four matches with their only loss in the past seven coming from a narrow 3-2 defeat to Bayern Munich on March 29th They are also undefeated in their last three home outings but they have been inconsistent at Millerntor-Stadion overall with seven losses and three draws in their last 12 St Pauli will be without midfielder Conor Metcalfe Blessin will also be without Jackson Irvine and James Sands.  Carlo Boukhalfa and Eric Smith are expected to start in midfield behind forwards Noah Weißhaupt although attacker Simon Zoller is also injured.  With centre-back Karol Mets and goalkeeper Sascha Burchert still recovering from injuries Nikola Vasilj may start in goal behind central defenders David Nemeth dominated attacking metrics against Heidenheim creating nearly two xG and two big chances while also preventing their opponents from registering any shots on target from inside the box.  head coach Sebastian Hoeneß will be concerned by their defensive fragility with Stuttgart conceding seven goals in their last three matches Die Schwaben lost 1-0 to St Pauli in the reverse fixture on December 21 although they had won six of the previous seven encounters between the two sides Stuttgart’s recent Bundesliga form has been worrying with only one win in their last 10 matches and six defeats they have shown more resilience away from home and losing just one of their last five matches on the road Stuttgart will be missing forwards El Bilal Toure and Justin Diehl Enzo Millot is not expected to return until mid-May.  With centre-back Dan-Axel Zagadou also ruled out Finn Jeltsch and Jeff Chabot are expected to feature in the heart of Stuttgart's defence Union Berlin and VfB Stuttgart made history on Saturday as the first Bundesliga game to feature eight goals before halftime and the game finished that way after a much quieter second half Four previous Bundesliga games had featured seven goals in the first half, the most recent being Eintracht Frankfurt's 6-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in May 2019 Andrej Ilic scored twice for Berlin while Stuttgart had four different scorers The scoreboard at Union Berlin shows the record-breaking first-half score. Maja Hitij/Getty ImagesWhile most of the goals came from set-pieces, Union defender Leopold Querfeld made his mark with a powerful shot into the top-right corner from 37 yards out. It wasn't a day for the goalkeepers as Union's goals came from just five shots on target all game. Stuttgart had six shots on target. Stuttgart are 11th after a setback to its faint hopes of qualifying for European competition next season and Union are 13th after a draw which ensured they cannot be relegated this season. Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report. Mirra Andreeva is ranked seventh in the world Teenager rising star Mirra Andreeva went out of the Stuttgart Open as she lost in straight sets to fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last 16 who has already won two titles this season lost 6-3 6-2 against unseeded Alexandrova in just over an hour became the youngest champion at a WTA 1,000 event in February by winning the Dubai Tennis Championships before triumphing at Indian Wells in March But she was unable to wrestle control of Thursday's match from Alexandrova who claimed her fourth win over a top-10 player this season Alexandrova will play third seed Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals after the American thrashed Poland's Magdalena Frech 6-1 6-1 Italian fifth seed Jasmine Paolini beat unseeded German Jule Niemeier 6-1 7-5 to reach the last eight for the second successive year She will play American fourth seed Coco Gauff who cruised past Germany's Ella Seidel 6-1 6-1 inside 57 minutes Top seed Aryna Sabalenka will play Belgian Elise Mertens in the quarter-finals after Anastasia Potapova withdrew before their last-16 match with an injury The final last-eight tie sees Polish second seed Iga Swiatek take on unseeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko who holds an incredible 5-0 head-to-head record from their past meetings Ostapenko beat American seventh seed Emma Navarro 7-5 3-6 6-2 Get tennis news sent straight to your phone Top storiesTrailblazer Zhao set to take snooker to 'another level' in China Alexander-Arnold leaves as modern Liverpool great - but fans will feel hurt Alpine poised to replace Doohan with Colapinto The final series of Man Like Mobeen has arrived John Simm stars in the provocative 90s drama Warm-hearted comedy with Ben Miller and Sally Phillips Follow two ambitious river restoration projects Who has made Troy's Premier League team of the week Trailblazer Zhao set to take snooker to 'another level' in China Zhao beats Williams in historic final - highlights VideoZhao beats Williams in historic final - highlights 'Scheffler and DeChambeau wins further raise US PGA excitement levels' Match-fixing scandal to Crucible champion - fall and rise of Zhao 'We need to take a look at ourselves' - Arsenal stalling at wrong time Palmer's brilliance could be key moment in Chelsea's Champions League quest Europa League 'papering over cracks' for Man Utd - Rooney VideoEuropa League 'papering over cracks' for Man Utd - Rooney Ask Me Anything the new BBC Sport service designed to serve you Bayern's 'James Bond' - how Kane clinched his first trophy Nine bolters with a shot of making the Lions squad How 'absolutely outstanding' Palmer 'destroyed' Liverpool VideoHow 'absolutely outstanding' Palmer 'destroyed' Liverpool Still number one & 'sparring' with Draper - return of Sinner Saints 'punch' favourites Leinster in game for the ages VideoVardy the best £1m ever spent - Shearer Poppy's tears Elton John & Happy Gilmore - McIlroy on Jimmy Fallon show Two opposing views on football's transgender ban Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Sabalenka takes pic of ball mark to dispute callImage source Aryna Sabalenka has never won the Stuttgart Open title Aryna Sabalenka took a photograph on court of a disputed ball mark during her quarter-final victory over Elise Mertens at the Stuttgart Open World number one Sabalenka disagreed with an "out" call on her shot when she was break point down against Mertens the Belarusian asked umpire Miriam Bley to check the mark She then took a photograph, external of the mark with a member of her team's phone before receiving a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct from Bley Sabalenka did not let the incident distract her regrouping to break back immediately and going on to win 6-4 6-1 She shook hands with Bley at the end of the match but said in her on-court interview: "When I gave her a handshake there was a very interesting look and a very strong handshake Why would I play this game with someone like her Sabalenka will face Jasmine Paolini for a place in Monday's final after the Italian beat Coco Gauff 6-4 6-3 Jelena Ostapenko continued her dominance over Iga Swiatek beating the world number two 6-3 3-6 6-2 to extend her unbeaten winning streak against the Pole to six matches Alcaraz sets up Barcelona Open final against Rune Zverev heckled again over domestic abuse allegations Tsurenko to take legal action over WTA 'abuse' Ostapenko is the first player to beat five-time major champion Swiatek on every surface - once on grass four times on hard courts and now once on clay Swiatek often struggles against Ostapenko's powerful groundstrokes which rush her forehand and draw out the errors in her game The Pole came into the match with an 11-1 record in Stuttgart Ostapenko hit 29 winners to Swiatek's 17 with eight double faults not helping Swiatek as Ostapenko attacked her second serve Ostapenko broke Swiatek's serve three times to take the first set but was scrappier in the second But Ostapenko won 12 of the first 15 point of the deciding set to take control eventually taking the match on a long Swiatek forehand "She's a great clay-court player but I won the French [Open] as well "I have so much respect to her and her team but every time I step on the court with her it's a battle and I'm ready for it." Ostapenko will face a semi-final against Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova who beat third seed Jessica Pegula 6-0 6-4 Jelena Ostapenko won the French Open in 2017 aged 20 and high-performance vehicles resonates in every aspect of this hotel right down to the smallest details like car-shaped soaps Nestled in the heart of the Motorworld Region Stuttgart there's no better place to immerse yourself in this automotive haven Find out more on how you can join us on this bucket list worthy trip to Germany by clicking HERE If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine © 2025 Active Interest Media All rights reserved Germany – Every Panther seemed to have the same reaction when the final whistle blew of Saturday afternoon’s 2-2 tie between Ramstein and Stuttgart “I was relieved that Ramstein didn’t score (again),” Stuttgart center back Christian Groves said “But I was confident that we could get that tie.” Nobody would have faulted Groves and the Panthers (5-0-1 4-0-1) if they weren’t so convinced during the match Stuttgart went down a man when Dom Tondre received a red card for extracurricular activity after the referee had stopped play Coach Michael Stevenson described how his team took the lead originally against the run of play when Alejandro Rivera pounced on a rebound in the 24th minute Now to hold on for 45 minutes after being on the back first for much of the first 35 That seemed like a tall task – one in which his Panthers succeeded we’re losing the possession battle and now we’re down a dude,” Stevenson said so we’re very fortunate with the result we got.” also expressed his contentment with the draw as his Royals (5-1-1 That control turned into almost one-way traffic after the red card “It felt like a championship game,” Ludes said The only positive Stevenson could take from the red card was it happened minutes before halftime That gave the Panthers an opportunity to regroup and draw up new tactics to deploy in the second half That plan: abandon the right side completely and set two central defensive midfielders in front of a back five The Panthers blocked shots from getting through to goalkeeper Zach Gelerter who stepped between the sticks for the second half and recorded five saves The Royals eventually broke through via Joseph Yost cleaning up a pair of rebounds in the 57th and 65th minutes to give the Royals their first lead of the match right time – that’s all that it is,” Yost said of his goals Stuttgart’s James Sheppard got on the end of a long punt by Gelerter dribbled to the right and then shot left past Ramstein Elliot Radosevich for the equalizer “That really gave us hope to be able tie or maybe even win the game picked our heads back up that the game is not over yet.” That goal gave the Panthers hope beyond Saturday’s contest The result means if Stuttgart beats Wiesbaden on May 10 the team will take the first seed into the DODEA European soccer championships on May 19-22 in the Kaiserslautern Military Community picked up something just as important – belief they could come home with another title “It just gives us the confidence going into Euros that we have what we need to be able to win Euros again and defend our title,” Yost said Ramstein may have been down early in Saturday morning’s battle for first place with Stuttgart but striker Claire Boynton had one piece of advice for her fellow Royals: “minor setback “I know that some girls were a little nervous going into the game,” Boynton said The Royals scored five unanswered goals to defeat the Panthers 5-1 6-0) clinched the top seed in the Division I European tournament in a few weeks with the victory “We know that Stuttgart loves to come out guns blazing,” Ramstein coach Frances Watson said “We were ready to see what they were going to come back with because we had full confidence in them that they were going to come back with something amazing.” After going down via a Meredith Fleming goal in the 20th minute Ava Smith equalized in the 34th minute when a Kayla Groat low cross found her wide open at the far post Ramstein really turned up the screws during an 18-minute span in the second half with four goals It began when Stella Alderink scored a rebound that had bounced off the crossbar in the 44th minute midfielder Olivia Davis volleyed in a corner from captain Kyndra Brown Groat’s shot from the left wing slipped under Stuttgart keeper Sophia Sirad to make it 4-1 Kylie Ascherl pulled back a pass to Boynton “(Alderink) came in here super duper nervous to the program and we have been motivating and uplifting her all season,” Boynton said “Just to see her score and the excitement on her face 3-1-1) still had opportunities to get back into the match with seven shots on net The ball seemed attracted to the Ramstein goalkeeper who made four saves before halftime before being replaced Watson said Bennett was motivated after missing last year’s title match against Stuttgart with an injury “We were really excited to see what Bailey was capable of doing on the pitch today,” Watson said “Bailey was able to come out and be that magnet and be the glue that stopped those balls.” He said Stuttgart can’t afford to let up against Ramstein at all “I think they’re disappointed in their performance today but they’re hopeful for the future,” Kelly said After Heidenheim's draw against Bochum on Friday night Pauli against Stuttgart would've given them their ticket to the Bundesliga for the upcoming season.  wanted to finally get back some momentum before their DFB cup final in a few weeks Here is a rundown of the hectic matchup between the two sides: The game started off quite hectic with both teams using counter attacks as their method of attack Pauli having the better chances of the two sides Sinani was the first player to get off a well placed shot in the 9th minute dominating in ball posession and passes - but St The game got even more intense in the second half - and the minutes 55 to 60 were the most stressful so far: Pauli's Siebe Van der Heyden blocked a shot from Nick Woltemade with his hand The referee corrected this initial decision thanks to the VAR and awarded Stuttgart a penalty - Van der Heyden had to leave the pitch after receiving his 2nd yellow card of the game wasn't able to put his team in front - goalkeeper Vasilj showed a great save to keep a clean sheet Nikola Vasilj slowly turned into the man of the match after saving Woltemade's penalty and good shots from Chris Führich and Maximilian Mittelstädt Pauli gave their all to hold the draw for as long as possible the pressure got too high: Woltemade finally got his goal after finishing a good counter attack by Stuttgart The game ended with some drama: Vasilj got into an argument with the referee and was booked twice in the process - he had to leave the pitch just like his teammate Van der Heyden in the 1st half Rightback Saliakas ended up in goal for the final seconds of the game and it was Stuttgart who were able to secure the 3 points Home » General » Crime » One dead seven injured in Stuttgart after car drives into crowd May 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) One person has died and seven others were injured after a car drove into a group of pedestrians in the city center of Stuttgart The incident occurred in the Olgaeck area of the Stuttgart-Mitte district Both the police and the fire department were responding to the event Local police confirmed the victim figures in an update adding that at least one person required resuscitation local time in the city center when a black SUV drove into a crowd Police have indicated that preliminary investigation suggests it was an accident "Based on the current state of investigation and available evidence our colleagues at the #Olgaeck scene believe this to be a tragic traffic accident There are currently no indications of an attack or a deliberate act," Stuttgart police said on X there is currently no indication of an attack or an intentional act It was believed to be a tragic traffic accident The driver of the involved SUV was arrested "Five people were slightly injured and three seriously injured in the accident a 46-year-old woman has since succumbed to her injuries in the hospital," police said in a Friday evening statement Police had assured the public that there was no further danger related to the incident Two people died on February 13 after they were injured in a car-ramming attack on a labour union demonstration in Munich Around 39 people were injured in the attack and police arrested a 24-year-old Afghan national who came to Germany as an asylum seeker He is the editor of SocialNews.XYZ and President of AGK Fire Inc developing mobile applications and publishing news articles on current events from various authenticated news sources When it comes to writing he likes to write about current world politics and Indian Movies His future plans include developing SocialNews.XYZ into a News website that has no bias or judgment towards any The fatal accident in Stuttgart city center continues to keep investigators busy The man's five-year-old child was also in the car of the driver who caused the accident in Stuttgart He did not give any further details about the child The 42-year-old man had driven a heavy luxury SUV into a crowd of people at a light rail stop on Friday including five children and a 46-year-old woman Following the accident in Stuttgart that left one person dead and seven injured the 42-year-old driver does not have to be remanded in custody the police and public prosecutor's office announced The authorities are investigating the German for involuntary manslaughter and involuntary bodily harm According to police reports on Saturday morning The all-clear was given for the injured children from the hospital in the evening "One child was operated on by traumatologists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the evening and will receive further intensive medical treatment afterwards," explained hospital spokesman Stefan Möbius The hospital immediately increased its intensive care capacity after the control center was alerted "As the emergency room is already very busy on Friday evenings additional intensive care staff were immediately alerted," said Jan Steffen Jürgensen The spokesperson was initially unable to say whether the car belonged to the German He also did not provide any information on the extent to which the man had commented on the course of the accident and whether he was already known to the police A Mercedes SUV struck pedestrians in Stuttgart though it evokes anxiety due to recent deliberate car-ramming attacks elsewhere in Germany left one person dead and eight others injured after a Mercedes G-Class SUV plowed into a crowd of pedestrians waiting at a metro stop in the Olgaeck area particularly given recent deadly car-ramming attacks in Germany the black SUV rounded a corner and struck the pedestrians including the Stuttgart Fire Brigade and numerous police officers and the injured were treated at the scene before being transported to hospitals One 46-year-old woman tragically succumbed to her injuries later that evening Three other individuals sustained serious injuries was arrested and is currently being questioned Stuttgart police conducted a preliminary investigation and stated that the incident appears to be a tragic accident They emphasized that there are currently no indications of an attack or intentional act considering the heightened anxiety following recent car-ramming incidents in Magdeburg and Munich which involved deliberate attacks the incident highlights the vulnerability of pedestrians in urban environments and the need for continued vigilance The accident led to significant traffic disruptions in Stuttgart's city center Metro services in the Olgaeck area were temporarily suspended and police are appealing to any witnesses to come forward with information The incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers inherent in busy urban areas The Stuttgart car accident underscores the importance of road safety and the devastating consequences of even unintentional incidents While police have ruled out a deliberate attack the incident remains a tragedy that has deeply affected the Stuttgart community We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the victim and wish a speedy recovery to those injured Stay updated on further developments via reputable news sources resulting in one fatality and eight injuries The cause is currently classified as an accident though the possibility of intent is being explored given recent events the victims were pedestrians who were struck by the Mercedes SUV in the city center while eight others sustained various injuries and are receiving medical attention While police initially classified the incident as an accident Recent deliberate car-ramming attacks elsewhere in Germany have understandably raised public anxieties and prompted a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding this incident Details about the make and model are likely to be revealed during the official police investigation The vehicle has been secured as part of the evidence gathering process Eight people sustained injuries in the crash and are receiving medical treatment The severity of their injuries has not been publicly released although it's known that emergency services responded quickly to the scene to provide initial care and transport to hospitals All trademarks are the property of their respective owners All rights reserved @ 2025 Nishtya Infotech (India) Ltd A car accident in Stuttgart killed one and injured seven though the incident follows recent vehicle-ramming attacks in Germany has left one person dead and seven injured after a car plowed into a crowd of pedestrians on Friday evening The incident occurred around 5:50 pm local time near the Olgaeck tram stop in the city center sending shockwaves through the community and raising concerns given recent vehicle-ramming attacks in Germany A black Mercedes SUV driven by a 42-year-old man struck multiple people a 46-year-old woman succumbed to her injuries in the hospital underscoring the devastating impact of the incident there is no evidence suggesting this was a deliberate act or an attack with accident specialists examining the scene and interviewing witnesses Stuttgart's city center experienced significant traffic disruptions following the accident The area around the Olgaeck tram stop was cordoned off while investigations and rescue operations continued Mayor Frank Nopper expressed deep sadness and offered condolences to the victims' families The hospital reported an immediate increase in intensive care capacity to handle the influx of injured individuals This incident comes on the heels of several recent vehicle-ramming attacks in Germany including deadly incidents in Magdeburg and Munich While police insist this Stuttgart incident appears to be a tragic accident the heightened security concerns across the nation remain palpable The investigation continues to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the accident The Stuttgart accident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of road safety and driver awareness While the incident is currently deemed an accident the ongoing investigation will shed further light on the circumstances surrounding this tragic event Our thoughts are with the victims and their families A car accident in Stuttgart resulted in one fatality and seven injuries The incident is under police investigation but a deliberate attack has been ruled out one person died as a result of the car crash The accident also left seven others injured highlighting the severity of the incident and prompting concern for the well-being of the young victims police have currently ruled out a deliberate attack the investigation is ongoing and more information will be released as it becomes available The police are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the car crash While they have ruled out a deliberate act the full details of the incident are still under investigation A 46-year-old woman has died and several others were injured after a car drove into a group of pedestrians in central Stuttgart on Friday evening The incident occurred around 5.50pm local time in the Olgaeck neighbourhood our colleagues on the ground believe this to be a tragic accident,” police said on their official X (formerly Twitter) account later succumbed to her injuries in hospital a woman pushing a pram was among those hurt A broken stroller remained at the scene well into the evening but authorities have not yet released further details about the individual A police spokesperson told AFP that the investigation is ongoing German security services remain on high alert following a string of recent vehicle-ramming incidents including deadly attacks in Magdeburg and Munich Police have urged the public to avoid the Stuttgart city centre due to significant traffic disruptions as emergency services continue their response Police have blocked the area and advised people to avoid it Berlin: One person has died and eight others were injured after a car struck a group of pedestrians in the city center of Stuttgart Authorities added that there was "no indication" it was an attack German security services have been on high alert following several deadly car-ramming attacks in recent months including in the eastern city of Magdeburg and in the southern city of Munich Police in Stuttgart however said on their X account that "based on our current investigations.. our colleagues at the scene believe this was a tragic accident" The police said that the incident in the central Olgaeck district had left "eight injured At least one person had to be resuscitated The city fire service said on its X account that the three seriously injured people had been taken to hospital while others were being treated at the scene where debris lay scattered on the road A police spokeswoman told AFP that "at around 5:50 pm a black G-class Mercedes drove into a group of people" and that "the driver was arrested" Police warned people to avoid Stuttgart city centre and said that there was severe disruption to traffic A mangled pushchair was visible in images from the scene The Bild daily reported witnesses as saying that a woman with a pushchair had been one of those hit by the car UAE condemns car attack at Filipino festival in Canada 5 medical students among 6 dead as car rams into house Vancouver festival attack: Suspect charged with murder Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox Ostapenko stuns Sabalenka to win Stuttgart title Kuwait: Mother-in-law's killer sentenced to death Agua redefines the future of luxury living They will be featured in the Stuttgart Daily Leader's special Farm Family Edition later this summer and honored with radio salutes on EAB's Southeast Arkansas stations The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program has announced its 2025 County Farm Families of the Year the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program has helped to recognize outstanding farm families throughout the state The objectives of the Farm Family of the Year program are: Selection criteria for the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year includes efficiency of production leadership in agricultural and community affairs Farm Family of the Year participation is open to all counties and is voluntary which is why there’s not always a recipient for each county The county Farm Families of the Year are:  The families will be visited by a set of judges to determine eight District Farm Families of the Year The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year will be announced in December at the Farm Family of the Year luncheon who then represent Arkansas at the Southeastern Expo Farmer of the Year event in Georgia Arkansas has had three Southeast Farmer of the Year winners Brian and Nan Kirksey of Clark County in 2008 Wildy Family Farms of Mississippi County in 2016 and the Cobb Lyerly and Owen Family/Partnership of Craighead County in 2023 Sponsors of the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program are Arkansas Farm Bureau the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas and the Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas support for the program is provided by the Arkansas Agriculture Department University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and the USDA’s Farm Service Agency Natural Resources Conservation Service and Rural Development We are locally owned and operated and the most complete source of news and information in South Central and Southeast Arkansas We provide top-quality advertising and exposure to small business owners companies and industries in the communities we serve 870.673.1595 stuttgartdailyleader@stuttgartdailyleader.com The incident occurred in Germany on Friday Bernd Weißbrod/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images A car drove into a group of pedestrians in the southwestern German city of Stuttgart “Based on the current state of investigation and available evidence There are currently no indications of an attack or a deliberate act,” Stuttgart police said on X The incident occurred near a tram stop in the Olgaeck area of Stuttgart's city center Three of the victims sustained serious injuries who was arrested and questioned by police shortly after the incident OneFootball's home page Search Settings Sign In Sign InJoinSt VfB Stuttgart preview: Hosts look to secure survival | OneFootballBulinews PauliThe hosts are in 14th place with 31 points Blessin will also be without Jackson Irvine and James Sands although attacker Simon Zoller is also injured while also preventing their opponents from registering any shots on target from inside the box However, head coach Sebastian Hoeneß will be concerned by their defensive fragility, with Stuttgart conceding seven goals in their last three matches, despite facing just over three xG. Die Schwaben lost 1-0 to St Pauli in the reverse fixture on December 21 Enzo Millot is not expected to return until mid-May Related NewsDrama at St. Pauli after Woltemade's golden goal for Stuttgart PREVIEW | FC St. Pauli vs Stuttgart - team news, lineups, predictions Hoeneß builds for St.Pauli challenge, scornful of online abuse aimed at team Stuttgart defender out for the season after surgery Could the relegation battle end this weekend? Crystal Palace 1-1 Nottingham Forest: Eberechi Eze scores as Eagles get ready to peak in FA Cup final Glasner will be content with his side’s performance against a team chasing Champions League qualificationCrystal Palace had their chances and could have nicked it late on, but a 1-1 draw... Football transfer rumours: Rashford in Man Utd exit talks; Real Madrid suffer Alexander-Arnold setback Real Madrid 'agree terms' with Carlo Ancelotti over his departure Carlo Ancelotti's future appears to be sealed after the iconic Italian manager has reached terms over his pending departure from Real Madrid.According to fresh reports from The Athletic, an agreement... Jelena Ostapenko completed a dream week at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix by taking down No 6-1 in the final to claim her ninth career Hologic WTA Tour title -- and first on clay since winning Roland Garros in 2017 Stuttgart: Draws | Scores | Order of play The fourth time would be the charm either way in the Stuttgart final: either Sabalenka would drive off with her much-coveted first Porsche after three previous losses in the title match, or Ostapenko would post her first win over Sabalenka at the fourth attempt. In the event, it was the Latvian who came out on top of a pulsating, hard-hitting battle -- and she will add a second Porsche to the Cayenne Turbo she already drives at home. No. 24-ranked Ostapenko, who ended Miami champion Sabalenka's eight-match winning streak, improved to 3-1 overall against reigning World No. 1s. She previously defeated Garbiñe Muguruza at Wuhan 2017 and Iga Swiatek at the 2023 US Open. Having also ousted Swiatek in the quarterfinals this week (improving to 6-0 against the Pole), Ostapenko became the ninth player to defeat both Sabalenka and Swiatek in the same tournament, sixth since Swiatek first rose to No. 1 in 2021 and first to do so on clay. Ostapenko's 2025 record now stands at 12-9 overall. She is 4-0 against Top 10 players this year (including two wins this week), and 8-9 against players ranked outside the Top 10. Ostapenko had garnered just one set in three previous encounters with Sabalenka, and the sets she lost were rarely close: Sabalenka had posted three 6-1 scores against her, and two 6-2 sets. In those matches, Sabalenka's superior serve and more reliable accuracy proved decisive. This time, the tables were turned. Ostapenko dominated behind her first serve, winning 81% of those points, while also having a greater read on Sabalenka's first delivery than in the past: the three-time major champion won just 53% of her first-serve points. Consequently, Ostapenko was able to sustain pressure on the Sabalenka serve throughout the match, bringing up 11 break points (converting six) while facing just three against her (Sabalenka converted twice). Ultimately, from 4-4, Ostapenko would take eight of the last nine games of the match. In the second set, Sabalenka won just 10 points -- four of which came in a single break to love -- and just five on serve. By the conclusion of the contest, Ostapenko was in full flow, closing out a 1-hour, 25-minute victory in trademark fashion with consecutive return winners. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WTA (@wta) Ostapenko told the press that she had a premonition of victory from the moment she arrived in Stuttgart but I felt very confident since the first day," she said I felt like something is going to happen this week I pretty much felt that I can win this tournament Because I think I'm improving day by day and I'm playing better and better That culminated in a spectacular performance against a player she had never previously beaten but I analyzed those matches and I knew what I had to do different today," Ostapenko said "I think I was more confident and more true player today than before." It’s been 10 and one-half months since Aryna Sabalenka played an official match on clay That was the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and resulted in a disappointing loss to teenager Mirra Andreeva after 13 hard-court tournaments (and one on grass in Berlin) 1 is just itching to get out there at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix to get this party on European red clay started “I’m happy to be back,” she told reporters Tuesday in Stuttgart. “I feel good and can’t wait to start playing on clay.” Sabalenka smiled when she said it, because she already knew that wait, oddly enough, would be extended for a few more days. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aryna Sabalenka (@arynasabalenka) Here’s the skinny: As the top seed, Sabalenka received a first-round bye in the 28-player main draw and was due to play the winner of the match between Anastasia Potapova and Clara Tauson. Potapova emerged victorious over Tauson after a fierce 2-hour, 41-minute contest, coming back from a set down and saving a match point. But that effort came at a profound cost. Potapova’s post on Instagram explained that she aggravated a prior injury and would be forced to withdraw from the tournament. “I was worried if everything is OK with her,” Sabalenka said, “so I messaged her and I figured out the situation. I was like, `What are you doing to me? My next match is on Saturday.’” Indeed, because the tournament observes the Good Friday Easter holiday, the quarterfinals won’t be played until Saturday, when Sabalenka will finally face her former doubles partner Elise Mertens. The possibility of a Sunday semifinal opposite No. 4 seed Coco Gauff or No. 5 seed Jasmine Paolini looms. “Yeah, that’s a bit awkward,” Sabalenka allowed. “But we adjusted a little bit of practice schedule, and I guess that’s gym time for me.” So while she’ll be hitting the weights, without so much as lifting a racket, Sabalenka is into her fifth quarterfinal in Stuttgart -- in as many tries. The goal? To close the deal this time. Sabalenka has come tantalizingly close to the title here, reaching the final three times. In 2021, she lost to Ashleigh Barty in three sets. The next two years, Iga Swiatek was the champion. Sabalenka practicing ahead of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart last weekend. “I lost three finals against World No. 1s,” Sabalenka noted. “So I was like, `OK, I have to do it. I have to come back here as World No. 1. Maybe that’s the deal. “Of course I have it in mind. It was three tough matches. I’ll keep it in mind as a motivation. If I make it to the finals, I’ll be hungry as ever, and I’ll be focused as never before.” Sabalenka has won 23 of 27 matches this year and is coming off a winning run at the Miami Open and also won the title in Brisbane. The results that clearly linger in Sabalenka’s mind are losses in the Australian Open and Indian Wells finals, to Madison Keys and Andreeva respectively. Asked if this was the best start to a season, Sabalenka referenced 2023 and 2024, the years she lifted the trophy in Melbourne. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aryna Sabalenka (@arynasabalenka) her social media game has never been better She’s got 2.7 million followers on Instagram and a typical video will garner one million views Sabalenka revealed that she’s not in this alone “I just have a team who helps to put it all together I would put the videos together by myself and it takes a lot of time Sabalenka and the team have some unexpected free time STUTTGART, Germany -- Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko powered into the Stuttgart Grand Prix final on Sunday with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over fellow unseeded player Ekaterina Alexandrova The 27-year-old will meet world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who worked hard for a 7-5, 6-4 victory against Italy's Jasmine Paolini to reach her fourth final in five years Ostapenko, who stunned five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek earlier in the quarterfinals got off to a strong start against Alexandrova with a break in the first game She was broken straight back but earned another one quickly to go 4-2 up "I don't know but I feel amazing playing here," Ostapenko said Alexandrova struggled with her opponent's thundering groundstrokes a three-time finalist in Stuttgart between 2021-23 The tables were turned in the second with the diminutive Italian punishing a sloppy Sabalenka to lead 3-0 and she fired a sensational crosscourt forehand winner on her first match point to seal victory work for every point," Sabalenka said of Paolini 2 Swiatek booked a spot in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix quarterfinals with a 6-2 6-2 second-round victory over Croatian qualifier Jana Fett "I'm happy that I found a little bit of rhythm," Swiatek said afterwards. "I gave myself time to feel the court and everything. It felt great. I'm happy that I have another chance to play here." The Pole has been the dominant force on clay during this decade and her Stuttgart performances are no exception. This is Swiatek's fourth appearance at this tournament and she has never failed to make the quarterfinals or better. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Porsche Tennis (@porschetennis) Here are more notable numbers surrounding Swiatek's latest clay-court win: 11: Swiatek is now 11-1 at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. She won the title in her first two appearances at the event, beating Aryna Sabalenka in the 2022 and 2023 finals. Her only Stuttgart loss has been to eventual champion Elena Rybakina in last year's semifinals. 18: With her victory over 153rd-ranked Fett, former World No. 1 Swiatek has won her last 18 matches against players ranked outside the Top 150. Her most recent loss to a player ranked below No. 150 came over four years ago. It was against another Croat, Ana Konjuh, who was ranked No. 338 when she beat Swiatek at 2021 Miami. (Alexandra Eala beat Swiatek at Miami this year while ranked No. 140.) 0: Swiatek zipped through the first set without facing a break point. Fett was also solid in that respect, saving six of the eight break points she faced in the opening frame, but she could not make inroads in Swiatek's service games. 1:16: In the second set, Fett made a bit of a move, earning her first service break in the opening game and leading 2-0. But that would be the extent of her surge as Swiatek won the following six games to close out the match in 1 hour and 16 minutes. 9: Fett was undone by double faults. She hit nine in the match -- including one to lose the first set, and another on Swiatek's second match point to finish the encounter. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Porsche Tennis (@porschetennis) dropping serve only once and winning 81 percent of her first-serve points 0-4: Fett fell to 0-4 against Top 10 players in her career but she has come close to a Top 10 win in the past 2 Caroline Wozniacki in the second round of the 2018 Australian Open Wozniacki battled back to win that match -- and went on to win her first Grand Slam title at that very tournament Swiatek will take on 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia Swiatek has never beaten Ostapenko in their five career meetings The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix main draw came out on Sunday Eleven of the world's Top 20 players will face off for the prestigious WTA 500 indoor-clay title at the Porsche-Arena in Stuttgart View the full draw on the WTA website HERE! The singles champion will receive €142,610 and 500 ranking points as well as one of the most coveted prizes on tour: a Porsche Macan Turbo April 14 and concludes with a Monday singles final on April 21 The top four seeds -- who are also the top four players in the PIF WTA Rankings -- receive first-round byes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Porsche Tennis (@porschetennis) Here is a breakdown of the draw highlights: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka tops the draw. She is seeking her first Stuttgart title, having been runner-up three straight times between 2021 and 2023. After her bye, Sabalenka will face either Anastasia Potapova or Clara Tauson in the second round. If seedings hold, Sabalenka would face No. 8 seed Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals. No. 4 seed Coco Gauff heads this quarter, and she will face a German in the second round: either wild card Tatjana Maria or lucky loser Ella Seidel. In fact, all five Germans in the draw are in this quarter. No. 5 seed Jasmine Paolini is at the other end of this quarter, and she would face home wild cards in her first two matches. Paolini and 2017 champion Laura Siegemund could potentially meet in the second round. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Porsche Tennis (@porschetennis) If seeds hold, this section could have a quarterfinal clash between two of this year's winningest players, No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula and No. 6 seed Mirra Andreeva. Pegula comes into Stuttgart having just captured this season's first clay-court WTA 500 title at Charleston. She leads the Hologic WTA Tour in main-draw match-wins this year, with 25. However, 17-year-old Andreeva is not too far behind in victories. The teen has already won 20 matches this season, bolstered by back-to-back WTA 1000 titles in Dubai and Indian Wells. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Porsche Tennis (@porschetennis) 2 seed Iga Swiatek sits at the bottom of the draw having won the title in 2022 and 2023 before her perfect record was snapped by Elena Rybakina in last year's semifinals Swiatek could face former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko there -- and Ostapenko is 5-0 vs 1 Aryna Sabalenka is back in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix final for the fourth time in five years Now she will try to take one more step and claim the Stuttgart title for the very first time 1-hour and 35-minute semifinal clash on Sunday Sabalenka repeated her win over Paolini from the same round of last month's Miami Open "That was a very tough match," Sabalenka said Sabalenka will face Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in a big-hitting singles final on Monday Ostapenko eased into her second final of the year with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova in the day's opening semifinal Sabalenka has won all three of her meetings with Ostapenko including a clay-court victory in straight sets at Rome last year Sabalenka's stellar weekend: Having not played at all this week until Saturday night, Sabalenka has gotten through her two matches in less than 24 hours without losing a set. Sixth-ranked Paolini, though, kept each set quite competitive on Sunday. Huge returns by Sabalenka gave her an early 3-0, double break lead in the semis, but Paolini stayed steely and chipped away at that advantage. Paolini got all the way back to level footing at 5-5, hitting a grand total of zero unforced errors in the entire first set. However, even that would not be enough to prevent Sabalenka from garnering the one-set lead. Another overwhelming return gave Sabalenka another break for 6-5, and the top seed at last served out the set at the third time of asking. In the second set, it was Paolini’s turn to lead 3-0, and Sabalenka’s turn to diminish that head start. The World No. 1 cranked yet another huge return to pull back on serve 3-2, and she moved ahead by a break at 5-4 with a winning crosscourt forehand. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WTA (@wta) One final forehand winner down the line sealed victory for Sabalenka who had 30 winners in the match and converted six of her eight break points Sabalenka will hope the fourth time is the charm in a Stuttgart final She lost to Ashleigh Barty for the 2021 title and was beaten by Iga Swiatek in the 2022 and 2023 championship matches "I want it more than ever," Sabalenka said like when you're losing three times in the finals I think it's becoming something really important and I'll make sure I bring my best game there tomorrow." Ostapenko's clay-court charge: To kick off the day in the Porsche-Arena Ostapenko took 1 hour and 29 minutes to topple one of her most frequent opponents in Alexandrova The pair had faced off 10 times before Sunday's semifinal and their head-to-head was deadlocked at 5-5 coming into the match Alexandrova had won both of their previous clay-court meetings and she moved into her first clay-court WTA singles final in nearly eight years her last clay-court final was a big one: when she won the 2017 Roland Garros title On Sunday, Ostapenko's 12 winners in the first set doubled Alexandrova's six, as the Latvian sought to continue the form that brought her to a sixth consecutive win over former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in Saturday's quarterfinals. The power plays from Ostapenko continued in the second set, forcing errors from Alexandrova to notch the early break at 2-1. At 4-3, Alexandrova had a chance to get back on serve, but Ostapenko found well-timed forehands to hold on and maintain her advantage. Serving for the match, Ostapenko deployed a perfect ace down the T at 30-30 to set up match point. There, Alexandrova found the net with her return, and Ostapenko skipped into her 18th career WTA singles final. "It was not an easy match," Ostapenko said afterwards. "She was hitting a lot of strong shots. I think I was playing well, and managed to win it in two sets today." All Top 5 seeds -- and five of the Top 6 players in the PIF WTA Rankings -- are set for Saturday’s blazing quarterfinals at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. The best Stuttgart pedigree unquestionably belongs to World No. 2 Iga Swiatek. She’s won 11 of 12 matches at the event, with titles in 2022 and 2023, winning both finals over Aryna Sabalenka. “For sure I’m proud of my achievements here,” Swiatek told reporters. “It’s good to come back and feel these nice memories, but it doesn’t change what’s going to happen in the future. Focus shouldn’t be a problem, since there’s a huge asterisk hanging over her anticipated quarterfinal against Jelena Ostapenko, who has historically been Swiatek’s Kryptonite. Ostapenko is a gaudy 5-0 for her career against Swiatek. But there’s this caveat: They have never played on clay, where Swiatek dominates. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WTA (@wta) We break down Saturday’s quarterfinals (there is no play on Friday in Stuttgart, due to the Good Friday holiday): No. 3 Jessica Pegula vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova (12:30 p.m. local, 6:30 a.m. ET) This one, featuring a pair of WTA 500 winners this year, should be fun. It’s also exceedingly difficult to know who’s going to win. Pegula was the Charleston champion a few weeks ago, while back in February Alexandrova took the title in Linz. On Thursday, Pegula was a comfortable 6-1, 6-1 winner over Magdalena Frech, while Alexandrova was a 6-3, 6-2 winner over No. 6 seed Mirra Andreeva. These two played exactly two weeks ago in the Charleston semifinals and Pegula prevailed 6-2, 2-6, 7-5. “Who knows what’s going to happen on Saturday?” Pegula told reporters. “We just played in Charleston. It was a crazy match. Honestly, I probably should have lost the match but was able to pull it out. “The last few times I have played her, every time I have played her, has been just an absolute war, battle.” Like Linz, Stuttgart is played in the climate-controlled comfort of the indoors -- Alexandrova’s favorite environment. Still, that title came on a hard court, which plays better to Alexandrova’s strengths. The key to her success, Alexandrova said, is lowering the expectations in her own mind. That strategy helped her beat Karolina Muchova in Linz and surprise Andreeva, the ascendant 17-year-old that has everyone talking. “When you don’t have any huge expectation in your head how the match needs to go, it’s so much easier,” Alexandrova explained. “You don’t have that extra pressure on yourself. You’re trying to be in the moment and to work with the problems you have in this exact moment, even if it’s not looking the way you want it to look. Head-to-head: 2-2. Pegula won both matches on clay, in the 2021 Rome round of 16 and recently in the Charleston semifinals. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WTA (@wta) No. 2 Iga Swiatek vs. Jelena Ostapenko (To follow) Swiatek has won 90 of her 101 career matches on clay. But going from hard courts to clay, she said, doesn’t make it automatic. “It’s not like I come to play and everything is perfect suddenly,” Swiatek said. “We play on a hard court most of the year, so coming to clay court I still need some time to adjust to. “But for sure I feel like I’m in the right place.” Swiatek looked sharp in Thursday’s 6-2, 6-2 win over Jana Fett. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Porsche Tennis (@porschetennis) But Ostapenko, a matchup nightmare, looms. She was a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 winner over No. 7 seed Emma Navarro on Thursday. In typical Ostapenko fashion, she walloped 44 winners (against only 21 unforced errors). The thing to watch against Swiatek? Break points. Ostapenko converted six of the nine opportunities against Navarro, while saving 14 of 18 against her. Head-to-head: 5-0, Ostapenko. They played in February in the Doha semifinals and Ostapenko came away a 6-3, 6-1 winner. Looking ahead, Ostapenko said, “I just have to do what I have to do: Stay aggressive and playing my game. I’m always ready for a battle against great players. I mean, she’s a great player.” 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs Elise Mertens (Not before 5 p.m.) but Sabalenka’s operating at a distinct disadvantage here because she’s been watching from the sidelines while Mertens has won two tough matches “I lost three finals against World No. 1s,” she explained. “So I was, like, `OK, I have to do it. I have to come back here as World No. 1.’ Maybe that’s the deal.” Mertens has to feel good about her game; she’s already been to two finals this year, finishing runner-up in Hobart and taking the title in Singapore. After dispatching Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the first round, she defeated No. 8 seed Diana Shnaider 6-2, 7-6(5). Head-to-head: 8-2, Sabalenka. Mertens won two of their first three matches in 2018, but is 0-7 since -- and 0-12 in sets since 2020. (Sabalenka and Mertens also teamed up to win two Grand Slam doubles titles, the 2019 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open.) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Porsche Tennis (@porschetennis) No. 4 Coco Gauff vs. No. 5 Jasmine Paolini (Not before 6:30 p.m.) This excellent quarterfinal matchup features two of the Top 6 players in the world. After a bye, Gauff coasted to a 6-1, 6-1 win over German lucky loser Ella Seidel in her opening match. Paolini, for her part, defeated a pair of German wild cards, Eva Lys and Jule Niemeier. Safe to say, defense will be on full display. And the fact that they often practice together will heighten their sense of anticipation about where the ball is going. “I think she’s an incredible mover,” Gauff said of Paolini, “and she has a really good forehand. Everybody knows about Jasmine and also the fight that she has in her. She never gives up. I have never seen her do that on the court. “It’s going to be a tough one on Saturday, but I think that it’s going to be good preparation for Roland Garros for me.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Porsche Tennis (@porschetennis) She's basically very complete player to me in the 2021 Adelaide round of 32 (in three sets) If you are a Ricebird fan—or a football fan in the state of Arkansas or read the news about our own David Walker being drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL We’ve known for a couple of years that he’d likely play on Sundays but having it become reality—and enjoying the events that surround it—is really something special to experience I was thrilled to watch him on Football Friday Nights for three years as he played a big role in the ‘Birds’ success and continued to follow him at SAU and and it is already benefiting from his celebrity To show the town’s appreciation, Stuttgart has declared next Monday, May 5, as “David Walker Day.” There will be an official declaration and celebration held in the new Ricebird Arena starting at 1:30 p.m. Come on out and help send David off on his pro football career It’ll be a fun celebration and one that you won’t want to miss Something else you won’t want to miss is the State Class 4A Regional Baseball and Softball Tournaments to be held at the new Ricebird Sports Complex May 8–10 This is the sort of event we’re so excited to host in our new and it will be a great source of pride for our school and community I was blown away by Leslie Bednar’s Hospitality and Tourism Class brochure that highlights Stuttgart and its restaurants These will be given out to visitors attending the tournament—what a fabulous way to promote our great town and all it has to offer This is the final week of the regular season for the Ricebird Baseball and Softball teams as they jockey for seeding positions in next week’s regional tournaments Keep up with their schedules and game results here in the Stuttgart Daily Leader you’ve also seen or heard the news that the Grand Prairie JOB Center has a new name they kicked off the official name change with a Stuttgart Chamber Business After Hours come-and-go reception back on April 8 The new name will help set them apart in a community where their previous name was often confused with the Grand Prairie Center or an employment agency The new “Bisbee Center” name will not only honor Dr who was a driving force behind the center since its inception The center’s mission is to provide work and activities for those in our community with developmental disabilities so they may have a meaningful day They are always looking for work to go along with their many activities clients worked diligently to prepare for the Community Easter Egg Hunt carefully stuffing over 5,000 plastic eggs with candy—at a rate of over 1,000 per hour They had quite the assembly line going and worked it to perfection The Rotary Centennial Pocket Park ribbon cutting was held this past Tuesday The Rotary Club originally planned this celebration two years ago but delays in assembling and installing the park’s elements pushed it back some great events have already been held there but it was fitting to finally acknowledge and thank those who made it possible Those who attended also got to hear first that there will be another Rotary Club Pocket Park coming soon to downtown Stuttgart This one will be on the corner of 2nd and Main Street Being on the corner will make it more visible than the original park and it will also feature a mural by the same company that painted the others Plans are also in the works to obtain a train caboose as a nice attraction With the park’s close proximity to the railroad tracks—and considering the importance of rail service in our town’s history—a caboose will be a perfect landmark This new park will enhance the appearance of our historic downtown and provide another great venue for both formal and informal events It’s another source of pride for our community As you read earlier this week in the Daily Leader, Celebrate Recovery is having a community-wide block party tomorrow—Saturday—from 11 a.m There’s no admission charge—everyone is invited—so just come by and see what they’re all about Celebrate Recovery is a mission of First Baptist Church Museum Director Fara Foster invites everyone to come on over as their day will just be getting started with more fun across town… at the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie which started out with about 6,000 square feet of space and has now expanded to 22,000 square feet indoors—with even more outside There will be great music from different groups throughout the afternoon so bring a lawn chair and enjoy a fabulous day I understand that the “Weather Committee” has ordered a perfect spring day—so come on out and enjoy it Another reminder: Mother’s Day is May 11—a week from this coming Sunday Lots of great local businesses can offer sound Mother’s Day gift advice and fix you up people want to talk about Ricebird Football I’ll have the 2025 Stuttgart Ricebird Senior High Football Schedule Aryna Sabalenka's long wait is over -- she has at last played (and won) a match at the 2025 edition of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix After making it into the quarterfinals without striking a ball, World No. 1 Sabalenka bested her former doubles partner Elise Mertens 6-4, 6-1 in their quarterfinal encounter on Saturday night in Stuttgart. "Finally I played my match," Sabalenka said, after her win. "Never happened before that I play the first match on Saturday. ... Happy with the variety of the game I brought today on the court. Yeah, I think it was very decent game." Sabalenka's semifinal opponent will be No. 5 seed Jasmine Paolini, who ousted No. 4 seed Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-3 in Saturday's nightcap quarterfinal. Sabalenka leads Paolini 4-2 in their head-to-head. Patience is a virtue for Sabalenka: After her first-round bye, Sabalenka did not have to play in the second round because her opponent, Anastasia Potapova, withdrew from their match due to injury. Thus, Saturday evening's quarterfinal was her first match of the week. And World No. 29 Mertens definitely tested Sabalenka's form in the first set. The Belgian was a point away from leading 5-4 and serving for the one-set advantage. But Sabalenka was able to get through that game and take the 5-4 lead for herself. From then on, the top seed was basically unstoppable, starting with a service break to wrap up the first set. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WTA (@wta) Sabalenka broke Mertens in three of the Belgian's final four service games Sabalenka won her last two service games at love so I felt pretty comfortable," Sabalenka said so I know the courts and I feel really good on this surface So I think it was about just playing the first match on clay Sabalenka is now 9-2 in singles against Mertens a player she has made Grand Slam history with Sabalenka and Mertens teamed up to win doubles titles at the 2019 US Open and 2021 Australian Open Sabalenka will be trying to make her fourth Stuttgart final in a five-year span 2022 and 2023 -- but has yet to win the title Paolini beats Gauff for first time: In the day's last quarterfinal Italy's Paolini took 1 hour and 28 minutes to garner her first victory over American Gauff in their three career meetings with her blistering returns leading to a break at love in the opening game But Paolini spread the court impressively as the match wore on Gauff posted a game that was the distinct opposite of her first game of the match The American hit two straight double faults to give Paolini triple set point and Gauff dropped serve at love after a backhand miscue But Paolini was going to be difficult to beat on Saturday regardless She fired 20 winners in the match -- eight more than Gauff -- and was nearly flawless when she came into the net en route to her first Top 10 win of the year not too many mistakes," Paolini said afterwards Ekaterina Alexandrova continued her 2025 surge with a 6-3 6 seed Mirra Andreeva in just 65 minutes to reach the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix quarterfinals The result was Alexandrova's fourth Top 10 win of the season already She has only notched more Top 10 wins in a single season once before with five in 2021 -- a tally it took her until the autumn to reach 22 collected her fifth Hologic WTA Tour title in Linz in February and has followed it up with semifinal showings in Doha and Charleston it was the 17-year-old Dubai and Indian Wells champion who got off to the brighter start Andreeva found a brace of her signature down-the-line winners to break in the opening game a double fault gifted the break back immediately and thereafter Alexandrova took control with her big-serving power game Andreeva struggled to find her first serve "Before the match I was preparing myself for a really difficult match despite the score," said Alexandrova afterwards Police work at the scene where a vehicle collided into a group of people in Stuttgart Emergency personnel work at the scene where a vehicle collided into a group of people in Stuttgart BERLIN (AP) — A vehicle slammed into a group of pedestrians in the southwestern German city of Stuttgart on Friday killing one person and injuring several others in what police said appeared to be an accident but Stuttgart police said on X that there was “currently no evidence of an attack or a deliberate act” and that all the information so far indicates it was a “tragic traffic accident.” The incident happened at an above-ground subway stop in downtown Stuttgart and the area was cordoned off as emergency responders and subway service through the area was suspended Corrects that the accident occurred on Friday Pauli lost by the only goal at home to VfB Stuttgart in front of a packed Millerntor on Saturday afternoon In a high-octane encounter the Boys in Brown were reduced to ten when Siebe Van der Heyden was dismissed on 57 The visitors finally capitalised when Nick Woltemade hit a late winner before Nikola Vasilj was sent off for two bookable offences in the fifth minute of time added on Head coach Alexander Blessin intended to make one change – Elias Saad for Noah Weißhaupt – to the side that drew 1-1 at Werder Bremen but  Saad picked up an injury during the warm-up and so Weißhaupt started Stuttgart’s starting lineup featured three adjustments from the 1-0 home defeat against Heidenheim Jamie Leweling and Nick Woltemade coming in for the injured Leonidas Stergiou plus Fabian Rieder and Ermedin Demirović With Heidenheim being held to a scoreless draw by VfL Bochum the previous evening the Boys in Brown went into the game knowing a win would secure their Bundesliga status for another season Blessin’s charges fashioned the first big chance with just 35 seconds on the clock when Danel Sinani threaded the ball through for Weißhaupt on the break and his toe-poke from eight metres was saved by Stuttgart keeper Alexander Nübel the unmarked Pascal Stenzel was allowed to shoot from the edge of the box at the other end but Philipp Treu dived in to make the block fans and teammates alike were celebrating Treu as if he had just stuck the ball in the net when Chris Führich bore down on goal and pulled the trigger from just inside the box but the No23 slid in to make a fantastic last-ditch block Fin Jeltsch was unable to clear his lines following a long ball forward allowing Sinani to have a pop from 25 metres but the ball dipped and curled a whisker past the angle of crossbar and post Stuttgart’s response was not long in coming when Jamie Leweling won the ball on the right and teed up Deniz Undav who found himself in too much space in the middle Hauke Wahl was able to block the shot in the nick of time Woltemade headed a Maximilian Mittelstädt free-kick two metres over the bar After the bright start by both sides it remained a high-intensity affair In the 18th minute the visitors broke quickly when Weißhaupt lost possession and Woltemade and Undav played a one-two into the penalty box where the former set his sights on the bottom left corner but Nikola Vasilj responded brilliantly to keep it at 0-0 Morgan Guilavogui was first denied a shooting opportunity by Jeff Chabot and then threw himself in the way of a Mittelstädt effort at the other end Vasilj had no problems dealing with a long-range effort from Führich who then did manage to get the ball past Vasilj from a tight angle but couldn’t find the net The tackles continued to fly in and if anything the intensity increased In the two penalty areas it was much more sedate Noah Weißhaupt was denied by Alexander Nübel with just 35 seconds on the clock Both teams emerged unchanged for the second period and the visitors carved out the first chance a couple of minutes in when Woltemade shrugged off a challenge outside the area to send Undav on his way and the Germany international fired just wide of the right-hand post Stuttgart enjoyed more of the possession but the Boys in Brown offered fierce resistance and continued to play some decent football With neither side prepared to give an inch there was still plenty of fire in the direct duels and it wasn’t always fair Blessin’s men registered their first chance in the 54th minute following a free-kick Stuttgart were unable to clear the danger and the ball fell to Sinani who met it first time but was unable to keep his effort on target Five minutes later there was uproar at the other end when the visitors combined their way brilliantly into the penalty box and Woltemade’s goalbound effort struck Siebe Van der Heyden on the arm as he attempted to get a block in Referee Florian Exner had another look at the situation in the review area before announcing his decision to the crowd – a penalty for handball and a second yellow for Van der Heyden Woltemade took the spot-kick himself and was denied by Vasilj who then kept out the rebound effort from Atakan Karazor to send the Millerntor into raptures For all the excitement at the penalty save the Boys in Brown were left with over half an hour to fend off a free-flowing Stuttgart side a player short – a challenge at the best of times Blessin responded by introducing Oladapo Afolayan for Noah Weißhaupt The visitors had the next big chance through Führich following a pass from Undav He had all the time in the world to pick his spot and went for the bottom left corner but Vasilj got down quickly to his right to turn the ball round the post for a corner which was hardly a surprise in the circumstances but the Boys in Brown continued to defend with passion and every defensive action drew the plaudits of the home crowd In the closing stages Robert Wagner came on for Carlo Boukhalfa Moments later a ripple of excitement went round the ground when the Boys in Brown burst forward via Guilavogui The Luxembourg midfielder tried to wriggle his way through traffic but was crowded out by Karazor when a quicker finish would have been the better option Vasilj clawed away a Woltemade header that was directed towards the bottom left corner and then defused a shot from Mittelstädt – there was simply no way past him at this stage three minutes before the end of regulation time Stuttgart set up camp in the penalty box and Woltemade eventually found the bottom left corner from eight metres This time there was nothing Vasilj could do The Boys in Brown threw everyone forward one last time but were unable to ward off the defeat Vasilj pulled off another save to deny substitute Ermedin Demirović in the fourth minute of time added on but then protested too vehemently to the referee when the visitors took their time taking the corner and was dismissed for two bookable offences in quick succession And though the heads went down after the final whistle the players received a warm round of applause from the fans after a performance full of passion Red cards (two yellows): Van der Heyden (foul 38’ and handball 57’)