traffic accident - A woman is driving through the glass facade of Cottbus department store buildings
A 61-year-old woman drove her car into the personnel entrance of the former Galeria Kaufhof department store in Cottbus. The cause is presumably a health issue, the city stated. The car broke through several doors and came to a stop only after several meters. "That must have caused quite a mess", said a police spokesperson. Damages occurred to the vehicle and the building.
The woman was taken to a hospital for observation, no one else was injured, the spokesperson added. The accident investigation and initial cleanup efforts are still ongoing, according to the city. Police and fire department are on site.
The accident occurred around 6:00 pm at the former Galeria Kaufhof. After the insolvency of the department store chain, the Aachen Fashion House had become the tenant. The fashion chain had moved into several abandoned Galeria-store locations nationwide but also fell into financial distress and filed for bankruptcy at the end of last year. All stores are now closing.
The city of Cottbus had bought the building. They plan to redevelop it into the "City Forum K". This mixed-use development will house the city archives, city library, vehicle registration office, and parts of the citizen services center.
- The police interrogated Ms. Smith, a witness who was passing by the site of the traffic accident at Glastweg.
- The Automatic doors of the former Galeria Kaufhof in Brandenburg were damaged due to the accidents caused by the woman's car.
- The local authorities announced that they would search for any safety concerns related to the traffic flow near the traffic accident site at Cottbus's former department store.
- Visitors to the Galeria Kaufhof Department Store in Cottbus were redirected due to the ongoing cleanup and investigation of the police and fire department after the traffic accident.
- The police officer at the scene requested all the nearby businesses, including GALERIA Kaufhof Cottbus, to share any surveillance footage that could help reconstruct the events leading to the traffic accident.
