[ad_1]
In Cologne, a concrete slab came loose from the A3 and killed a driver. The competent authority assumes an “intentional defective design”.
After the fatal accident with a concrete slab on the A3 near Cologne, the Straßen.NRW authority assumes a “deliberately caused defect”. The authority announced Tuesday. According to this, the plate was probably not positioned correctly during assembly in 2007 for reasons of space. The lack of construction was not discovered because it was in a hidden location.
Six more panels were placed with the same faulty construction, according to Straßen.NRW. The expert commissioned by the Public Ministry had previously discovered at least one other piece with a risk of falling. According to information from the German Press Agency, in its preliminary report it documented an already bent welded joint with increased risk of cracking in a neighboring concrete slab. According to information from the dpa, the expert recommended that the dangerous components be removed as quickly as possible and kept as evidence.
The breaking point in the downed concrete wall – the plate was probably misplaced on purpose. (Source: Straßen.NRW)
In his preliminary report, the engineer claims that some concrete slabs were installed correctly around the crash site and others, including the one that had crashed, were not. The “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” reported that different companies may have been involved in the construction of the wall, which may have used different fixing systems. According to the dpa information, correctly positioned components can be recognized with the naked eye at a different distance from the top edge of the wall.
Washer too small was found
According to the expert, the crashed concrete slab weighed about 6.2 tons. It was attached as a cladding in front of the actual soundproof wall. In addition to a broken bolt, the appraiser found a washer that was clearly too small.
The concrete slab was on Friday The car of a 66-year-old woman from Cologne fell, who died at the scene of the accident. The Public Ministry has initiated a process for negligent homicide against unknown persons.
