Three dead in a canal near Braunschweig: investigators find burglary tools inside the wrecked car
Investigators in the city of Braunschweig have revealed new details about the fatal incident that claimed the lives of three men after their car fell into the "Mittelland" canal. Police found burglary tools and socks pulled over the victims' hands inside the wrecked vehicle, indicating their attempt to avoid leaving fingerprints, according to prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters.
The accident occurred when a 34-year-old driver from Serbia, along with two passengers aged 25 and 31 from Croatia, attempted to flee from a police checkpoint on the A2 highway. The police lost track of the vehicle after it sped away at a tremendous speed, then continued recklessly on the single-lane federal road B4, dangerously overtaking several cars. The vehicle collided with the metal barrier, then struck an oncoming vehicle, breached the bridge railing, and fell directly into the canal.
The three men were pulled from the water as lifeless bodies. It was found that the car was stolen after being rented earlier, which increased suspicions about their intentions. It is believed that the men may have been involved in thefts, but the location or time of any potential crime remains unknown. Walters said, "It is likely that the motive behind the incident will never be clear."
In the other car coming from the opposite direction, a 53-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman from Hamburg were seriously injured. The man was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition, while the woman was also taken to the hospital for treatment.
The authorities confirmed that the bodies of the three victims were not autopsied, clarifying that the case was initially recorded as 'unintentional homicide', but was later closed because the driver – the only legal responsible party – died in the accident. The public prosecutor's office reported that the bodies were released for burial.