An ICE drove into a car standing on the tracks in Bonn on Thursday night. There were no people in the car, the fire department and police said. The train driver suffered a shock, the passengers were unharmed. Despite emergency braking, the train could no longer prevent a collision with the vehicle in the Gronau district. The car was totaled. The ICE was also badly damaged, said a police spokesman. According to initial estimates, the damage is more than 300,000 euros.
It was initially unclear why the car was on the tracks. The barriers at the level crossing were closed at the time of the collision. The police are investigating dangerous interventions in rail traffic.
According to the police, a witness saw a man running away from the scene of the accident shortly after the loud collision. In investigations at the address of the vehicle owner, it has not yet been possible to clarify who last drove the car.
The approximately 80 passengers on board the train had to switch to another means of transport for their onward journey. The railway line was reopened early in the morning.