A44 in Unna - Two people burn in alleged car racing incident
After an alleged illegal car race with two fatalities in Unna, the Police arrested a 39-year-old man in the night. He is suspected of participating in the race, the Police reported. On a Wednesday evening, the driver of a sports car lost control on the A44 Autobahn near Dortmund/Unna towards Kassel at high speed.
The vehicle caught fire. The two occupants – a 20-year-old and a 52-year-old man from Dortmund – died. Another allegedly involved car fled from the accident scene. The Police are now investigating the suspicion of an illegal car race.
Sports car caught fire – Police secure evidence
The sports car was thrown off the road, had severed several trees with its impact, and immediately caught fire, as the Police Dortmund reported. The fire department took care of witnesses and first responders at the accident scene who had to witness the incident.
Quickly, the investigation led to a 39-year-old man who was reported to have fled from the accident scene. He was arrested at his residence in Dortmund only two hours after the accident. The investigators confiscated his car, driver's license, mobile phone, and the clothes of the man. After being interrogated, he was released at night.
A44 near Unna temporarily closed
At the accident scene, evidence was secured until early morning hours. These, along with data from the on-board electronics of the two cars, are now part of comprehensive investigations, with which the Police intend to reconstruct the events. The investigations are expected to last several weeks according to the Police.
During the accident investigation, the A44 was temporarily closed in both directions. The on-ramp to the A1 towards Cologne was also affected. The road is now clear again.
- The 39-year-old man, who is under investigation for his involvement in the illegal car race on the A44 near Unna, is from the city of Dortmund in North Rhine-Westphalia.
- The automatic number plate recognition system in the 'Author races' database might help the police in identifying the alleged fleeing car, as it is registered in Kassel.
- Despite the arrest and interrogation of the suspect, the police are still seeking the owner of the fleeing car, as they believe it could provide vital evidence in the case.
- The police in Unna have requested assistance from their counterparts in Dortmund to gather more information about the suspected organizer of the illegal car race on the A44.
