German police are investigating the case of a man who stole an excavator in the southern part of the country and then rammed cars and damaged buildings for almost an hour. The excavator stopped only after officers fired at it. The man died on the spot, according to the police.
As reported on New Year's Wednesday by the portal of the German television Tagesschau, a 38-year-old citizen German got into an excavator in the town of Grünsfeld on New Year's Eve afternoon, then rammed vehicles, damaged buildings, including a car showroom, and injured three policemen during a chase that lasted nearly an hour. The officers managed to stop the excavator only after firing shots at the cabin. According to the police, the 38-year-old died on the spot despite resuscitation attempts.
An excavator stolen by a 38-year-oldENEX
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“The man's motive remains unclear,” Tagesschau said, noting that investigators had ruled out that the crime was politically motivated. According to information obtained by the German broadcaster SWR, the man worked in the past in a construction company from which he stole an excavator. The 38-year-old probably no longer lived in the Main-Tauber-Kreis district and came to Grünsfeld to commit a crime. The mentioned car dealership and construction company belong to the same entrepreneur who fired the 38-year-old, SWR reported.
“Surreal” event
– I am terrified – said the mayor of Grünsfeld, Joachim Markert, in a conversation with journalists. The mayor of nearby Tauberbischofsheim, Anette Schmidt, was also shocked. – You can't find the right words to express what happened. And above all, it is incomprehensible what could compel a person to commit such a terrible act, she commented. One of the region's inhabitants quoted by the media described the event as “surreal”, another said it was “terrifying”. – You can't leave the house without fear – he added.
An excavator stolen by a 38-year-oldENEX
Main photo source: ENEX