Confession after fatal speeding accident on German A5 highway
Published: Thursday, Nov 21st 2024, 12:50
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After a fatal accident on the German A5 highway (Basel-Freiburg) in southern Baden, a sports car driver tearfully admitted in court that he had been drunk and had hit the car of the later victim at a speed that was clearly too high.
"I am to blame for the accident," said the German, who lives in Basel, at the district court in Lörrach (Baden-Württemberg). "That was a big mistake that I can never forgive myself for." The public prosecutor's office accuses the 31-year-old of causing the fatal crash with his Portsche late one evening in August 2023.
According to their statements, the alleged speeder is said to have accelerated the car to at least 243 kilometers per hour. The public prosecutor is seeking a conviction on suspicion of illegal motor vehicle racing and involuntary manslaughter against the man, who has no criminal record. The 59-year-old driver of the other car died at the scene of the accident. The sports car driver and his passenger suffered minor injuries. A verdict before the end of the day cannot be ruled out.
No speed limit at the location
The speed limit on the A5 between Basel and Freiburg is usually 120 km/h. However, there is no speed limit between the Weil am Rhein interchange and the Efringen-Kirchen junction, where the accident occurred.
Speed limit due to illegal car racing on the A81
In 2018, a speed limit of 130 kilometers per hour was imposed on the A81 between Engen and Geisingen due to speeders, some of whom came from Switzerland to take part in illegal races in southwest Germany. Since then, the number of races has "decreased significantly overall", according to the Constance police. "So far in 2024, we have only identified and reported one incident involving two vehicles from Switzerland."
Time and again, speeders from Switzerland are targeted
Drivers from Switzerland and other countries who drive too fast are often noticed in the area of the Freiburg police headquarters, especially on the A5 and A98 highways. In recent years, the police have also increasingly registered high-powered cars on popular motorcycle routes in the southern Black Forest, including cars with Swiss license plates. Additional police checks are therefore carried out from spring to fall.
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