Fatal traffic accident in Mitte – according to the police, the driver of the accident was too fast and avoided traffic jams using bicycle lanes
rbb/Höppner
Audio: rbb24 Abendschau | Mar 10, 2024 | A. Tiemeyer/P. Höppner | Image: rbb/Höppner
After the fatal traffic accident on Leipziger Strasse, the police published the first details about the possible cause of the accident. The 83-year-old driver of the accident was probably traveling too fast. A vigil for those killed was held on Sunday evening.
He was therefore driving at excessive speed on Leipziger Straße in the direction of Potsdamer Platz and then allegedly used a cycle path on the right in a traffic violation to get past a traffic jam.
A 41-year-old pedestrian and her 4-year-old child crossed the road at the same time and were hit head-on by the car. Both later died in hospital from their serious injuries.
As a result of the accident, the 83-year-old rammed another car. The force of the impact caused another vehicle to be struck at a red light.
Mother and son came from Belgium
According to police, the mother and her child came from Belgium. They were accompanied by the child’s father and the mother’s sister at the time of the accident.
Mother and son were taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. While the 41-year-old succumbed to her serious injuries a little later on Saturday afternoon, the child underwent emergency surgery. According to police, she died on Saturday evening as a result of the accident.
The driver of the accident was sober
The 83-year-old man who caused the accident was slightly injured and was taken to hospital for outpatient treatment. A voluntary breath alcohol test remained unremarkable. The police nevertheless confiscated his driver’s license and the vehicle involved in the accident.
Since the accident site is in a heavily frequented area of Berlin, the police were able to interview many passers-by as witnesses to the accident.
According to police, many had to be cared for by rescue workers and pastors at the scene of the accident due to the tragic accident. Three people had to be treated in a hospital.
Leipziger Straße not far from Potsdamer Platz was completely closed for five hours due to the tragic traffic accident. According to the police, the investigation into the exact cause of the accident is still ongoing.
Vigil on Sunday evening
At a vigil for the woman who was killed and her child, between 100 and 150 people gathered at the scene of the accident on Sunday evening, according to an rbb reporter. Several associations, including the ADFC and Fuss eV, called for the vigil.
Its spokesman Roland Stimpel criticized Transport Senator Manja Schreiner (CDU). “You have announced that you want to raise the current speed limit from 30 to 50 here on this stretch of road and on 29 other main roads,” he said and called on them to abandon the plans. “Your eyes should have been opened since yesterday at the latest.”
Stimpel called on Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) to have fixed speed cameras installed. He addressed the demand to Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) to finally allow speed limits of 30 on all city streets and to increase the penalties for speeding and the misuse of sidewalks and cycle paths.
Broadcast: rbb24 Abendschau, March 10, 2024, 7:30 p.m