• Germany edition
National
Photo: DPA

Truck driver flees scene of fatal A1 accident

Published: 2 Jan 13 11:54 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20130102-47089.html

A truck driver who on New Year's Day drove the wrong way onto a motorway in northern Germany, killing two people as he tried to turn around, fled from the accident scene, police said on Wednesday.

Police caught up with the Latvian man near the city of Bremen, several kilometres from the A1 motorway in Lower Saxony, where he had accidentally driven his 40-tonne truck down the wrong side at 9 pm.

After realising his error he attempted to turn the vehicle round, hitting a number of cars and killing two people, the identities of whom have not been released. He ran from the scene after his vehicle came to a halt.

On Wednesday morning it was still unclear exactly how many people were injured and how many cars were involved in the crash.

The A1 motorway was shut until 5 am in order for the emergency services to clear the scene.

Over the past few months there has been a string of accidents involving people driving the wrong way in Germany, sparking debate about how to cut the chances of it happening. One incident in early November left six people dead.

DPA/The Local/jcw

What do you think? Leave your comment below.


Your comments about this article:

16:34 January 2, 2013 by Englishted
Making a error OK can happen ,but to try turning ,no .

Leaving the scene when the are people hurt ,unforgivable throw the book at him.
17:24 January 2, 2013 by thatsnotariot
Quite upsetting that geisterfahrer are getting more and more frequent. Terrible tragedy, and to flee the scene? Take his license for good!
19:03 January 2, 2013 by fourwheeler77
It amazes me how many people drive the wrong way on German Autobahns. I could see it happening in America more frequently, since the Interstate signs suck and you dont know which way you have to turn to get on the on ramp until you are right at the on ramp. In Germany the signs are great!
22:43 January 2, 2013 by coffeelover
@fourwheeler,,,Your comment is an oxymoron. If Germany signs are great, why are wrong-way drivers in the news so much? Hence, if the signs in the US are so bad, why are there so few wrong-way drivers here? Especially with the system being so much bigger here? No highway system is immune to wrong-way drivers, but to slam one with a better safety record is bad form. Put the bottle down before commenting. Maybe Germany needs to install red strobes on off-ramps to warn wrong-way drivers. Just a thought.
06:40 January 3, 2013 by pjnt
Come on people. Without real numbers comparing countries is pointless. If Germany has 3 highly public accidents the media makes us all scream for change, where in other countries they may have 10 times that without comment.

Without hard data, it is pointless to speculate.

As for the driver? Fleeing a scene is inexcusable. Enjoy you German vacation behind bars.
08:48 January 3, 2013 by Joearchboy
Actually.... According to the US Highway department, about 350 people are killed each year on US Highways due to 'geisterfahrer'.

According to the ADAC, about 20 people in Germany year die on average due to 'geistfahrer'.

I think that it isn't plastered all over the news when it happens in the US is due to the size of the country. For comparison, on German radio there are country-wide traffic alerts, whereas in the US it is pretty much only city-specific. The same goes with news about traffic fatalities....

Just wanted to clarify.
09:43 January 3, 2013 by DoubleDTown
@fourwheeler77: you must be driving in different parts of the U.S. and of Germany than I have experienced.

@coffeelover: Germany doesn't need red strobes, it needs better designed on/off ramps. But, until they re-engineer the ramps, strobes are not a bad idea.

How many more people have to die before Germany figures out that putting the on/off ramps together to save resources is not worth the resources they are saving?
04:25 January 7, 2013 by RainerL
coffeelover : and @fourwheeler77 > perhaps it has something to do with so many Forraigners driving willy nilly straight in to Germany> I wonder how many of them can even read German Road Signs? Do we there for need better Ramps and signage? I think all needs to be considered with a little lateral thinking before pointing the fin ger only at one obvious that may not be so obvious after all.
ADD YOUR COMMENT   (YOU MUST LOG IN OR REGISTER TO MAKE A COMMENT)
Today's headlines
Photo: DPA

Germany tops world popularity poll

Germany is the most popular country in the world, according to a poll released on Tuesday asking people to rate the positive and negative influence of 16 major nations. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Hipster Berlin dogs get meaty frozen yoghurt

Healthy dogs have wet noses, but cold and creamy canine noses may be a sign that they've been treated to a doggy frozen yoghurt made in Berlin. Rather than chocolate or pistachio, flavours include salmon and beef. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Dortmund's Götze ruled out of Wembley final

A hamstring injury has ruled Borussia Dortmund's Germany midfield star Mario Götze out of Saturday's Champions League final at Wembley against Bayern Munich – the club he will join next month after activating a release clause in his contract. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Social Democrats launch left-wing global network

Germany's Social Democrats marked their 150 anniversary by opening a new chapter in global centre-left politics, founding an alliance of parties in an attempt to replace the ignored and discredited Socialist International. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Tax evasion 'OK for Joe Normal' say Germans

Although Germans express outrage when wealthy or famous people evade taxes, many of them do the same themselves, albeit on a smaller scale, a new survey shows. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Grey seals return to German Baltic shores

The small population of grey seals on the Baltic Sea has increased significantly, with hopes rising that they may start breeding soon, conservationists reported on Wednesday. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Cop faces charges for punching woman

German state prosecutors filed on Wednesday charges against a policeman who punched a woman in the face, breaking her nose and eye socket while she was at a Munich police station in January. READ () »

Photo: DPA

Police raid suspected leftist extremists

Police on Wednesday carried out raids across several German states at more than 20 properties, which they believe are connected to a network of leftist extremists responsible for carrying out attacks over more than a decade. READ () »

More National
RECEIVE OUR NEWSLETTER AND ALERTS
Highlights
Photo: Private
LIFESTYLE »
In the latest installment of My German Career, The Local spoke with New Zealander physicist Graham Appleby about life in Germany's scientific community.
Photo: DPA
SOCIETY »
20,000 Goths gather in Leipzig
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
Harmless pink fun or a bad influence on young girls? A life-size Barbie dream house attraction opened in Berlin to protests including a topless woman burning a doll in effigy.
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
At his final heartbeat I knew I had to act. Our German of the Week is Tina K., who, after her brother was beaten to death, has been campaigning for an end to street violence in Berlin.
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
The Local List: Ten German words with double meanings
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
The Local's English-language movie listings for Germany
Photo: DPA
SOCIETY »
Conflict is part of the fabric of Berlin, but the city's "Peacemaker" soothes things over. Jessica Ware tracked him down for a chat.
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
It might be politically toxic, but it's time to hit the brakes on Germany's reckless driving culture, argues The Local's Ben Knight.
Photo: M&S
SPONSORED ARTICLE
Move over Berlin: why London is Germany's new fashion capital
Photo: Private
OPINION »
For this edition of My German Career, former US military man turned armed guard Keith Alban talks about leaving home in search of a better quality of life.
Photo: Katie Needs
SOCIETY »
Offseason, Germany's largest island Rügen might not top many peoples' list of dream holidays. But as The Local discovered, its quiet beauty makes it worth a trip to escape city bustle.
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
Confused about the hundreds of euros missing from your pay packet? Don't panic - the latest in The Local's JobTalk series looks at German social security payments.
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
Is that your Handy ringing? This week's Local List takes a look at 12 misused English words in German.
Photo: A Peoples' Picture
LIFESTYLE »
An American is stirring up creative spontaneity in Dresden by leaving disposable cameras around for strangers' use, before collecting them and displaying the results online.
Photo: Private
LIFESTYLE »
After it was revealed that Angela Merkel had a Polish grandfather, Matthew Luxmoore set out to find where she could connect to her roots in Berlin's sizable Polish community.
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
Why isn't everyone wearing Lederhosen? It's easy for foreigners to stereotype Germany, but this week's Local List is dedicated to debunking common myths.
Photo: Private
OPINION »
The last time Si Liberman saw Berlin, he was thousands of feet in the air on a US bombing raid over Nazi Germany. Nearly seven decades later, he returned to the city.
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
What are the hidden rules of etiquette foreigners need to watch out for while doing business in Germany? The Local's JobTalk series has tips for keeping on the right side of your colleagues.
Photo: DPA
NATIONAL »
All of The Local's 'Germans of the Week' so far
Photo: DPA
NATIONAL »
Every town and city from The Local's My Germany series
Monster/jobpilot.de
SPONSORED ARTICLE
Eighty per cent of Germans apply for jobs online
Furniture Leasing Corporation
SPONSORED ARTICLE
The furniture-free way to relocate to Germany
Photo: Henrik Trygg/imagebank.sweden.se
SPONSORED ARTICLE
Top five reasons to enrol on an Executive MBA



Latest news from The Local in France

More news from France at thelocal.fr

Latest news from The Local in Norway

More news from Norway at thelocal.no

Latest news from The Local in Sweden

More news from Sweden at thelocal.se

Latest news from The Local in Switzerland

More news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch

See all ads | Join the Marketplace

Jobs in Germany, in English

931 jobs available
676 new jobs this week
90 new jobs today

ALL JOBS »

Blog
Essentials

Dating
Looking for your own blonde bombshell? Or is the strong, silent type more your style? Find a German sweetheart here.

Weather
"After clouds comes clear weather," say the Germans. But what about after that? Find out in The Local's weather section.

Blog
German stuff that's distracting us today.

Noticeboard
Whether you want to buy, sell, hire, announce or promote something, here's the place to do it - completely free of charge.

Discuss
Debate the news, ask for advice, make friends - or just let off steam.

Search News


Register

Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss

REGISTER FOR FREE »

News from the Goethe-Institut
News from Young Germany
  • Frankfurt's Skyscrapers: A Guide
    Frankfurt is known for banks and skyscrapers. So what is behind the colossal glass, steel, and stone facades of the city’s buildings? Meet Frankfurt’s tallest.
  • Conference - Pioneers on Dual Training Abroad
    Germany‘s system of dual training is one of the foundations of its economic strength.
  • The all-German final in Wembley
    Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund are playing in the final of the Champions League at London’s Wembley Stadium.
  • German first feature film in Cannes
    A directorial debut from Germany makes it to the competition “Un Certain Regard” at the famous film festival on the Côte d’Azur.
  • Traveling Germany: Europa-Park
    Think theme parks:Roller coasters, colorful rides, entertainment, thrills. Think Germany: Europa-Park is the largest amusement park in the country, second in Europe only to Disneyland Paris.
News from DeutschlandOnline

Toytown Germany
Germany's English-speaking crowd
Trade CFDs with InterTrader.com
Start trading shares, equities, forex, etc. No commission on equities; Low min. margins. Apply for a CFDs account now!
Little house in Spain
'Charming, old, beamed cottage for holiday let in Jesus Pobre, Alicante, Spain
www.littlehouseinspain.com/
Albatross Insurance
Professional and qualified consultancy on all insurance and finance matters in Germany, Telephone: +49 2163 571 1740, Email: bg@albatross-assurance.com
www.albatross-assurance.com
Hotel reservations in Berlin
Visiting Berlin anytime soon? Book your hotel in Berlin here.
Rental apartments in Berlin
For home-from-home holiday accommodation, search for a Berlin apartment to rent.