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After a similar accident in Berlin last year, a debate broke out about the dangers of heavy SUVs in cities. The cause of the terrible accident in the main metropolis on Saturday afternoon was, according to the police, in all probability excessive speed.
Both an illegal auto race and an assassination attempt can be ruled out as a reason, a spokesman said Sunday. “According to initial findings, it is a traffic accident with a tragic outcome.”
According to police, a 38-year-old SUV driver from Frankfurt stopped at a traffic light around 4 p.m. 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.
People aged 61 and 27 die
The car trapped a 27-year-old bicycle messenger in the bike lane and two pedestrians on the sidewalk and seriously injured them. The vehicle scratched a parked car and hit the wall with full force, parts of the brick facade smashed.
The injured were taken to hospital, where a 61-year-old pedestrian from the Ostalb district in Baden-Württemberg and the messenger on a bicycle died. The condition of a seriously injured 31-year-old Frankfurt woman has recently stabilized, the police spokesman said. According to the information, the driver was slightly injured.
The man was taken to a police station to clarify his identity and take 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. There is also no evidence that other people were sitting in the SUV. It was not initially known whether the 38-year-old had already drawn attention in the past for driving too fast.
No more accidents due to more SUVs
In central Berlin, an SUV ran 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 critics labeling them as particularly harmful to the environment. After the serious accident in Berlin, voices were raised calling for maximum limits for large SUVs in city centers.
However, according to accident investigation experts and the police, there was no evidence that the accident in Berlin with a limousine would have been different. Many limos are as heavy and fast as the car involved in an accident at the time.
In general, fewer and fewer serious accidents have occurred over the years, thanks in part to modern technology such as assistance systems. In the first half of the year, the number of fatalities from accidents across the country dropped to a record low. However, the volume of traffic is also lower due to the corona pandemic.
