As of: February 5, 2024 9:28 p.m
After the fatal wheel loader accident in Toppenstedt, the verdict is expected on Tuesday. In June 2023, a child and a man died when a mesh box attached to the wheel loader fell to the ground.
The defendant is accused of negligent homicide in two cases and negligent bodily harm in eleven cases. Was the cause of the accident a technical defect or clearly human error and therefore negligent homicide? This question will be clarified at the hearing on February 6th in the Lüneburg Regional Court. An expert report had initially ruled out a technical error as the cause of the accident in the Harburg district. On the first day of the hearing, however, doubts arose about the report.
The report falters
The public prosecutor accuses the defendant of not activating the vehicle’s safety mechanisms and therefore acting negligently. Transporting people with the wheel loader was also not permitted. On the first day of the trial, however, the defendant testified that he had indeed activated security mechanisms, but that there might have been a defect in them. This may have led to a loss of oil, which ultimately caused the locking bolts to come loose. The expert on whom the public prosecutor’s office relies in the indictment was initially unable to rule out such a course of events. Therefore, this question must be clarified by a new report. It could be presented on Tuesday.
Technical defect decisive for verdict
The defendant said he was the driver. He will bear the consequences of the accident. If it turns out that there was a technical defect, “then that is important both for the sentence and for my client,” said defense attorney Dirk Meinicke to NDR Lower Saxony.
VIDEO: Regional court hears fatal accident in Toppenstedt (01/22/2024) (3 min)
Two dead in wheel loader accident in Toppenstedt
The accident occurred in June 2023 during a privately organized father-child camp in Toppenstedt (Harburg district). The 44-year-old had transported children and adults with a mesh box attached to the wheel loader. While driving, the box came loose and the occupants fell from a height of about one meter. According to police, they were probably hit by the falling metal basket. A five-year-old and a 39-year-old were killed. Ten other children were injured, some critically.
Mayor resigns after accident
The now accused driver of the wheel loader is the then mayor of the town. After the accident he resigned from his position. According to the police, he is a father of three and was a participant in the camp.
Further information
The verdict was actually supposed to come down on Monday. A 44-year-old is charged with negligent homicide of a man and a child. (01/23/2024) more
1 Min
The former mayor was driving the wheel loader, from which a mesh box came loose – with it twelve children and one adult. (01/22/2024) 1 min
The driver is accused of negligent homicide and negligent bodily harm. Two people died, including a child. (November 21, 2023) more
A child and a man died in the accident in Toppenstedt. A 44-year-old transported people with a wheel loader. (08/18/2023) more
This topic in the program:
Hello Lower Saxony | 02/06/2024 | 19:30 o’clock