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Police patrol in Bavaria

Photo: Benedict Bettermann / aal.photo / IMAGO

On Tuesday evening, two vehicles allegedly competed in a street race in Gmund, Upper Bavaria. The police became aware of the two speeders when they overtook a civilian patrol at around 8:10 p.m. Shortly before Dürnbach, part of the municipality of Gmund am Tegernsee, a Ford Transit and a 3-series BMW chased past the police at far too high speed, as regional media consistently reported. According to police estimates, they were traveling at 120 to 150 kilometers per hour on the B 318 towards Tegernsee, partly apparently in the local area.

Stopping the two cars apparently proved difficult: the drivers did not respond to the use of blue lights or the siren, as the police said. It was only because traffic was backed up on a mountain that the patrol was able to overtake the two vehicles and then stop them.

One of the two drivers, a 23-year-old, was suspected of being on drugs. The 28-year-old driver of the Ford van apparently smelled of alcohol and had to take a breathalyzer test. After consultation with the public prosecutor's office, a blood sample was ordered from both accused, according to the police. Their driving licenses were also confiscated.

Significant technical defects and a front flasher

The 23-year-old's car was seized and presented to an expert. According to the police, it had significant technical defects and had an operational front flasher, as is otherwise installed in civilian police vehicles. The two drivers are apparently facing several criminal charges, including participation in an illegal street race, drunk driving and driving under the influence of drugs.

It is not the first time that the police in Bavaria have stopped illegal car racing. Last summer, two vehicles raced on the A8 near Miesbach and were also stopped by a civilian patrol. In 2021, a 27-year-old was jailed on suspicion of murder for causing an accident during an illegal race that killed a 54-year-old.

In Hanover, the regional court sentenced a woman to six years in prison for illegal motor vehicle racing that resulted in death. The 40-year-old rammed the car of an uninvolved family, killing two children.

mgo/dpa