In the district of Zwickau, Saxony, a thrilling chase took an unexpected turn as a patrol car careened off the road and collided with a lamppost during a pursuit. A speeding driver had evaded a traffic check on Kitscherstraße and initially fled the scene. The two officers on duty gave chase, but their attempt to apprehend the evading driver resulted in a right-hand turn gone awry.
The patrol car veered off the road, striking boundary stones before crashing into the unfortunate lamppost. The impact was enough to knock the lamppost off its base, and the patrol car came to a halt in a nearby ditch. Although the officers escaped unharmed, the damage to property was substantial, estimated at 32,500 euros.
Police forces eventually tracked down the 23-year-old suspect and administered a rapid drug test. The results were alarming: the man tested positive for illegal substances. The investigation into the chase and the subsequent arrest is still underway.
Such high-speed pursuits and drug-related arrests may not be the norm in Germany, but they are not uncommon incidents. For instance, a recent car theft and high-speed chase in Thüringen left both the driver and his passenger with severe injuries. Both individuals were under the influence of drugs at the time of the accident [1].
Similarly, a Swiss-Thai couple found themselves in hot water after a high-speed pursuit in Chumphon, Thailand. The woman exited the vehicle as it was still moving, while the man drove recklessly. Both confessed to using drugs, with the man admitting to methamphetamine use and the woman pointing to medical reasons for her intake [3].
In Germany, incidents of reckless driving and drug abuse have surfaced sporadically. A shocking incident in Munich saw a car swerve into a crowd of pedestrians, injuring 28 individuals. Suspicions pointed towards an Afghan asylum-seeker as the perpetrator [2].
Although the exact frequency of such incidents may not be well-documented, these instances serve as a reminder of the ongoing challenges related to vehicle theft, reckless driving, and drug use in modern-day Germany.
Source:
[1] [2] [3]
