He disregarded red traffic lights and drove his car onto the sidewalk until the crash: Because it was unclear whether a 24-year-old in Darmstadt intentionally caused an accident, the LKA (State Criminal Police Office) was involved. The investigators are still puzzling over the motive.
The damaged cars after the accident in Darmstadt-Arheilgen.
Image © Petra Demant (hr)
After a 24-year-old rammed his car into another vehicle and caused a serious accident on Monday, the Darmstadt District Court ordered pre-trial detention for the man on Tuesday.
He is accused of disregarding multiple red traffic lights and driving at excessive speeds in Darmstadt-Arheilgen. The public prosecutor and the LKA accuse him of at least recklessly accepting the risk of injuring or even killing innocent people.
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00:58 Min. |03.09.24
Speeding driver causes accident in Darmstadt – one severely injured
The damaged cars after the accident in Darmstadt-Arheilgen.
Image © hr
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The 29-year-old driver of the other car suffered severe head injuries among other things in the accident. His condition is reportedly stable at this time.
According to the LKA, police conducted a breathalyzer test on the accident perpetrator, which showed no signs of intoxication. The result of the blood test is still pending.
No confirmation of newspaper report
Furthermore, it has come to light that the accused claimed that the “Almighty” had commanded him to act this way. The newspaper Die Welt reported this, citing unnamed security sources. The LKA stated on Tuesday that they were also investigating a possible political or religious motive for the reckless driving.
So far, the LKA has found no evidence to support this, they reported. Additionally, there were indications that the man suffers from a mental illness. Here too, the investigators do not seem to be certain yet, as they stated on Tuesday: “The exact sequence of events and the motive are currently the subject of the investigation.” These investigations are ongoing in all directions.
24-year-old’s apartment searched
During a search of the 24-year-old’s apartment, numerous pieces of evidence were found and secured, including mobile phones, storage media, and documents, the LKA further reported. These are currently being evaluated. The public prosecutor’s office and the LKA do not want to disclose further details “to protect the ongoing investigations.”
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00:37 Min. |02.09.24|Malena Menke
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On Monday just before 12 PM, the 24-year-old rammed his BMW into a Skoda on Frankfurter Landstraße in Darmstadt-Arheilgen. The 29-year-old driver of the Skoda was seriously injured. The fire department had to cut him out of the car. The man was taken to a hospital.
The 24-year-old accident perpetrator ended up on the sidewalk with his car. Police subsequently arrested him.
Driver previously unknown to police
The LKA became involved due to the “unusual and conspicuous driving behavior,” as a spokesperson said. Witnesses reported that the man was driving at high speed on Frankfurter Landstraße, disregarding red traffic lights and steering his car onto the sidewalk. Pedestrians had to quickly make their way to safety. According to current reports, no one was injured.
The LKA is examining whether this was a reckless driving incident under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a rampage, or an attempted attack meant to injure people. After similar incidents in recent years – such as during the rampaging driver into a crowd on Rose Monday 2020 in Volkmarsen (Waldeck-Frankenberg) – the police are more sensitive to such assumptions, investigators stated on Monday.
The 24-year-old was previously unknown to the police. To gain a clearer picture of the unusual driving incident, the police are asking for more eyewitness accounts.