Serious accident in Cologne-Ostheim: Pedestrian hit by Mercedes!

Serious accident in Cologne-Ostheim: Pedestrian hit by Mercedes!

On Sunday night, around 2:20 a.m., a serious accident occurred in Cologne-Ostheim, shocking the local community. A 38-year-old pedestrian was hit by a Mercedes on Frankfurter Straße and sustained serious injuries. Rescue workers were quickly on site and immediately took the injured person to a hospital. However, the 31-year-old driver of the Mercedes, who was traveling towards Kalk, remained uninjured. Erftkreis news reported that the collision could not be avoided because the pedestrian suddenly stepped onto the road without paying attention to the traffic.

Witnesses to the incident have stated that the pedestrian crossed the road without paying attention to approaching vehicles. This careless moment led to the tragic collision. The Cologne police secured the scene of the accident and temporarily closed Frankfurter Straße while the traffic accident investigation team documented the accident and secured evidence. The police are currently investigating, particularly with regard to the reasons for the sudden entry into the road and the speed of the driver. source These investigations are necessary in order to reconstruct the exact sequence of events.

A worrying trend

This accident also sheds light on the increasing number of accidents in Germany. According to the German Road Safety Council (DVR), a total of 2,839 people died in traffic accidents in 2023, an increase of 1.8% compared to 2022. Pedestrian safety in particular has required great attention in recent years as the number of fatalities and injuries in this area has increased. DVR Manfred Wirsch, President of the DVR, calls for greater consideration of pedestrian safety in traffic policy. An amendment to the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO) is in the works and is intended to give municipalities more opportunities to arrange zebra crossings and take measures to protect pedestrians.

The planned changes should make it possible to impose a speed limit of 30 km/h on playgrounds and busy school routes on main roads in order to reduce the risk for pedestrians. Given the current incident and the increasing number of accidents, it is more important than ever to make roads safer and take preventative efforts.

The Cologne police are asking for information about the accident. More witnesses are being sought to better understand how the accident unfolded. Witnesses can contact the authorities on 0221 229-0 or by email at poststelle.koeln@polizei.nrw.de. The investigation is ongoing and the company is looking forward to the results, which may provide valuable clues for future traffic measures. Erftkreis news