[ad_1]
After a similar accident in Berlin last year, a debate has erupted about the dangers of heavy SUVs in cities. According to the police, the cause of the horror incident in the main metropolis on Saturday afternoon was most likely excessive speed.
A spokesman said Sunday that both an illegal car race and an assassination attempt could be ruled out. “According to the first results, it is a road accident with a tragic outcome”.
According to police, a 38-year-old off-road vehicle from Frankfurt stopped at a traffic light around 4pm in the Ostend district, not far from the European Central Bank (ECB). When it turned green, the man accelerated sharply and lost control of his vehicle.
61 and 27 year olds die
The car caught a 27-year-old bicycle courier on the bike path and two pedestrians on the sidewalk and seriously injured them. The vehicle scratched a parked car and hit a house wall with all its force, parts of the brick facade fell off.
The injured were taken to hospital, where a 61-year-old pedestrian from the Ostalb district of Baden-Württemberg and the courier on a bicycle died. The state of a seriously injured 31-year-old from Frankfurt has recently stabilized, a police spokesperson said. According to information, the driver was slightly injured.
The man was taken to a police station to clarify his identity and to record his testimony. A blood sample was also taken. However, it will take a while for the result to be available, the police spokesman said.
There is currently no evidence of alcohol or drugs, he said. Also, there is no evidence that other people were sitting in the SUV. It was initially unknown whether the 38-year-old had already drawn attention in the past for driving too fast.
No more accidents due to multiple SUVs
In central Berlin, an SUV went off the road in 2019 and even fatally injured four pedestrians, including a three-year-old boy. SUVs have become increasingly popular with car buyers, despite being critically labeled as particularly harmful to the environment. After the serious accident in Berlin, voices have been raised calling for maximum limits for large SUVs in city centers.
According to accident research and police experts, there was no evidence that the accident in Berlin with a limo would have gone otherwise. Many limousines are as heavy and fast as the car involved in an accident at the time.
In general, there have been fewer and fewer serious accidents for years, also thanks to modern technologies such as assistance systems. In the first half of the year, the number of accident fatalities nationwide dropped to an all-time low. However, the volume of traffic is also lower due to the corona pandemic.
Source link
