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Germany Sees Spate of Holiday Road and Rail Crashes as Investigations Intensify

Authorities cite alcohol, speed and icy surfaces as leading factors and say several drivers face criminal inquiries.

Overview

  • Police in Düsseldorf say technical failure is ruled out in the Holthausen tram derailment and the driver is under investigation for suspected negligent bodily harm, with his operating rights suspended.
  • In Leipzig, a 26-year-old Audi driver is accused of speeding on icy pavement, colliding with a VW and injuring a cyclist, and investigators are pursuing counts of endangering traffic and negligent bodily injury.
  • Autobahn police near Gelsenkirchen report stopping a 52-year-old whose breath test exceeded five per mille after dangerous swerving on the A2, and her license was seized as a criminal case moves forward.
  • Three people suffered minor injuries in Hannover after a Stadtbahn struck an Audi and dragged it several meters, as firefighters freed the occupants and police probed the cause.
  • Separate incidents left pedestrians critically hurt in Essen and Hattingen and at least two drivers dead in Alt-Arnsberg and on the B93 near Altenburg, as closures and forensic teams handled extended rescue and reconstruction work.