Prosecutors investigating Polish bus crash
BERLIN – Prosecutors on Monday opened an investigation of a German woman whose car hit a Polish tourist bus, triggering a crash that left 13 people dead and another 38 injured.
Potsdam prosecutor’s spokesman Ralf Roggenbuck told The Associated Press that his office was investigating the 37-year-old driver of the red Mercedes that is believed to have caused Sunday’s crash on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter.
“We assume that some kind of driver error was the cause for the crash,” he said.
The name of the Berlin woman who drove the car was not released.
Both the Mercedes and the bus have been impounded by authorities who were examining them Monday for evidence, while both the passengers of the Mercedes have given witness statements, Roggenbuck said. The driver suffered serious injuries in the crash and has not yet been interviewed.
“With today’s technology ,we will be able to determine exactly how the accident occurred,” Roggenbuck said, adding that the investigation would probably last at least two weeks.
The tour bus was on its way back to Poland from Spain when it crashed on a highway outside Berlin on Sunday. Police said the Mercedes hit the bus as the car merged onto the highway, causing the bus to hit a bridge abutment.
About 120 relatives of the victims arrived in the town of Koenigs Wusterhausen outside Berlin early Monday to try to get more information about their loved ones.
More Stories
Thank you to Oracle readers and supporters
Dear reader: In April, we told you of The Oracle’s challenges as we transition to a fully-digital paper – from budget cuts to a lack of updated technology. We asked for your help and you stepped up. Through your contributions, we raised over $800 just one month after announcing our new fund with the USF […]
Florida’s ‘Stop Woke’ law could endanger USF students’ education, professors say
Elizabeth Aranda has been educating students on Latino history for over two decades. Aranda, a USF sociology professor, said she wouldn’t be able to do her job if Florida’s “Stop Woke” law were put into effect. “Imagine you are an orchestra conductor but you’re missing every third page of the musical score,” Aranda said. “There […]
USF’s decision to replace ‘cultural icon’ Pollo Tropical is disappointing, students say
Upon arriving in Tampa, junior criminology major Ana Hernandez said she felt a certain culture shock. Hernandez, who moved from Venezuela to Miami as a child, found it hard to find familiar food as often as she did in Miami, where the Hispanic community is bigger. USF’s on-campus Pollo Tropical, located just a brief walk […]
New USF residential hall at the Sarasota-Manatee campus to open in August
USF Sarasota-Manatee will open its first residential hall in late August, joining Tampa and St. Pete as a residential campus. With a $43.95 million price tag, the new building will serve as both a student center and residential hall. It will open on Aug. 23, the Friday before fall classes begin. The dorm will allow […]
USF professors discuss 2024 primary: ‘Do not skip this election’
The clock is ticking with less than a month left to register by July 22 for this year’s primary election. With critical races like local school boards and Senate on the line, USF professors are urging students to make their voices heard this election season. Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan is a political science professor and the […]
Former USF football player killed in car crash
Former USF tight end Teigan Martin was killed in a single-car crash in Minnesota on Monday morning, according to the Carver County Sheriff’s office. First responders responded to a report of a crash on County Road 122 near Hollywood Township, MN, just after 5 a.m., according to a sheriff’s press release. Deputies discovered a vehicle […]