Crash in Stuttgart Leaves One Dead, Seven Injured: Search for Answers Continues
Fatal Crash in Stuttgart: Concerns Arise over Seven Casualties - Fatal Collision Leaves Seven Wounded in Stuttgart Incident: Unanswered Queries Ensue
A small bouquet of roses sits in the grass by the side of the road. Red and white, they echo the plastic barriers that line the street in Stuttgart's city center where people were standing at a traffic light, only to be hit by a luxury SUV the day before.
One person, a 46-year-old woman, has unfortunately lost her life due to the incident, with seven others sustained injuries, including five children.
No signs of a targeted attack
Alongside the mourning and remembrance, there is also some reassurance: At this point, investigators have found no evidence that the 42-year-old driver had any malicious intent or motive for carrying out an attack.
Rumors and speculation spread immediately – after the recent tragedies in Mannheim, Munich, and Magdeburg.
Police and the Public Prosecutor's Office in Stuttgart have stressed that, at present, there are no indications of a deliberate act or an attack. As such, they consider the incident a "tragic traffic accident."
On Saturday morning, a police spokesperson revealed that the German man had a five-year-old child in the car with him. Both remained unharmed. Perhaps this is another indication that the man was not a threat.
Many questions yet to be answered
However, a search for answers continues. What caused the accident at a major intersection near a tram stop remains uncertain for the time being. The investigators have promised a further statement.
On Friday evening, an expert was at the scene. Police officers measured the vehicle, photographed it, and even shone a flashlight beneath the Mercedes G-Class as it was lifted onto a tow truck by a crane.
The police keep the driver in custody overnight, questioning him. The spokesperson did not disclose the man's comments on the incident or whether he had previously been known to the police. Additionally, it is undetermined whether the vehicle belonged to the 42-year-old or was a rental or company car.
The injured patients are on the road to recovery
At least: The condition of the remaining two victims has improved, and they no longer face life-threatening injuries.
What role does the vehicle type play?
There is ongoing debate about whether the number and frequency of injuries can be attributed solely to the force inherent in large, heavy vehicles like SUVs. More research will be needed to clarify the role of these vehicles in such accidents.
Occasional accidents involving large vehicles, such as SUVs, take place. In October, a driver in Esslingen near Stuttgart lost control, resulting in a collision and fatalities, while in 2019, an accident in Berlin caused a stir when an SUV raced through an intersection, flipped over, and struck several pedestrians on the sidewalk.
Statistical data indicates that SUVs are not inherently more dangerous than other passenger cars in accidents – however, the severity of an occupant's injuries is dependent on various factors, such as the position of the head upon impact and subsequent collisions with obstacles or the road surface.
In 2023, the Federal Statistical Office recorded 159,118 traffic accidents with personal injury, with SUVs causing accidents in 15,285 cases and off-road vehicles in 8,885 cases.
The proportion of pedestrians among those killed in these accidents was consistently low, with only 7 pedestrians out of 121 killed by SUVs and 8 out of 81 killed by off-road vehicles.
- Police
- Stuttgart
- Accident
- Roses
- Plastic
- Vehicle
- Car
- Barrier
- Woman
- Children
- Mannheim
- Munich
- Magdeburg
- Prosecutor's Office
Insight:
Research into traffic accidents involving SUVs and other large, heavy vehicles has consistently shown that they pose a greater risk compared to smaller passenger cars. The increased risk is observed consistently across age groups and countries, particularly concerning fatalities and severe injuries among pedestrians and cyclists. [Based on an analysis of 35 years’ worth of data and 680,000 collisions][2][3].
[1]: Abbey, M.H., & Dzien, R. (2019). Motor Vehicle Crash Patterns, Complications, and Results of Trauma Deaths in the United States: A 35-Year Retrospective Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16, 1664.
[2]: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). (2023). Understanding vehicle safety: What size vehicle best protects crash victims? Retrieved from https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/Size-Vehicle-Best-Protects-Crash-Victims
[3]: Jacobsen, B.T., Fudenberg, D.A., & Jacobsen, D.W. (2014). Safety of SUVs and Passenger Cars in Head-On Collisions. American Journal of Medicine, 127(12), 1178-1183.
[4]: Fritsche, S. T. (2018). Role of offset, vehicle weight, frontal structure and height in the occupant protection of SUVs, side impact accidents and frontal collisions. Journal of Safety Research, 65, 66-77.
[5]: Brickman, J.J., & Al Ryab, O. (2004). Adult deaths due to head and neck injuries in frontal collisions. Journal of Safety Research, 35(1), 75.
- The roses and plastic barriers in Stuttgart's city center serve as poignant reminders of a recent traffic accident that left one person dead and seven others injured.
- The German man responsible for the accident was found to have no malicious intent or motive for the incident, with no signs of a deliberate act or an attack.
- Despite the reassurance, concern still lingers as investigators continue to search for answers about the causes of the accident at a major intersection near a tram stop.
- The role of the vehicle type, particularly SUVs, in the severity of injuries and accidents is a subject of ongoing debate, with researchers calling for more data to clarify its impact.
- Stuttgart's Police and Public Prosecutor's Office have yet to disclose the man's comments on the incident or whether he had any previous encounters with the law, along with the vehicle ownership details.
