Post-Lockdown Scenario: Intoxicated Motorist Removed from Road Traffic
In the early hours of Tuesday, a 20-year-old woman from the Werra-Meißner district was arrested by the South East Hesse police after driving a 3.5-ton Sprinter in the wrong direction on the Autobahn 3.
The incident, which occurred near Seligenstadt, caused the police to close the A3 at the Seligenstadt interchange and bring traffic to a controlled stop at the Mainhausen rest area. The South East Hesse Police Headquarters was involved in the incident response, and personnel from the South East Hesse Highway Police Station were alerted and rushed to the scene around 00:45.
According to reports, the driver continued to ignore all stop signals, including flashing lights and sirens, and was potentially heading towards a collision with Würzburg. However, witnesses reported that the driver turned around and started traveling correctly in the direction of Frankfurt, but then turned around again and drove back towards Würzburg.
A patrol car was able to safely stop the Sprinter by means of a controlled braking maneuver, positioning their patrol car in front of the driver. The 54-year-old driver was provisionally arrested, and a breath alcohol test showed a reading of 1.68 per mille. The driver was taken to the police station for sobering up, and a blood test was conducted on the detainee.
Fortunately, no personal or material damages were reported, and the highway was fully closed for approximately 15 minutes due to the operation. The highway was monitored from both the Seligenstadt interchange in the direction of Frankfurt and the Hanau interchange in the opposite direction.
The police are investigating the incident on suspicion of endangering road traffic due to alcohol-induced impairment. Road users who were endangered by the wrong-way driver are asked to contact the South East Hesse Highway Police Station.
Contact information for the South East Hesse Police Headquarters Press Office is provided below for further inquiries:
South East Hesse Police Headquarters Press Office Phone: +49 6196 50-0 Email: [email protected] Website: www.polizei-suedhessen.de
