Overview
- A company bought the GLE 400 via an online auction, and the collection driver reported no effective braking before calling a tow service and police.
- Workshop inspection identified burnt wood dust on the front wheels and custom‑cut wooden blocks installed where brake pads should have been.
- Polizei Ludwigsburg labeled the setup “creative but life‑threatening” and seized the remnants of the wooden pads as evidence.
- A complaint has been filed against the vehicle’s first owner, with responsibility and motive still under investigation, including whether an unlawful provisional was left in place.
- The police Facebook post detailing the case went viral and drew thousands of comments, with rumors of a hoax denied by the authorities.