On the way to an operation, a fire truck caused a traffic accident in Zschorlau (Erzgebirge district) on Saturday evening. According to the Chemnitz police, the driver fled on foot on Sunday. When officials found him about an hour later, he was visibly under the influence of alcohol – an immediate test showed 1.5 per thousand. He stated that the brakes did not work – but according to an expert there was no malfunction.
According to the police, he had avoided the slowing down fire engine ahead when turning to prevent a collision. His car crashed into a car that stopped at the side of the road because of the special signal. Its 26-year-old driver and 18-year-old passenger were slightly injured and their car had to be towed away.
The accident resulted in total damage of around 20,000 euros. The firefighter lost his driver’s license and is under investigation for endangering traffic and unauthorized removal.
