Overview
- At Cologne’s Eifeltor freight yard, an 83-year-old died and a 64-year-old was critically injured when a moving container crane struck their mobile work platform, prompting a Kriminalpolizei investigation.
- On the A61 near Weilerswist, a Smart drove under a parked articulated lorry at a rest-area entrance; the passenger died at the scene and the driver suffered severe injuries as police examine the circumstances.
- After a crash on the A2 near Verl, the BMW driver fled on foot; officers used drones, dogs and multiple patrols to search without success, and secured the vehicle for forensic checks.
- A failed improvised towing effort on the A210 near Rendsburg left two people with life‑threatening injuries when a VW struck the disabled car; the roadway was closed for hours while an expert reconstructed the crash.
- Water‑main breaks in Dortmund and Essen abruptly flooded streets and trapped motorists; firefighters conducted vehicle rescues and cleared drains as utilities worked to resolve the failures.