Tragic accident in Böblingen: 18-year-old dies after e-scooter collision

Tragic accident in Böblingen: 18-year-old dies after e-scooter collision

Böblingen, Deutschland - A tragic incident occurred on Monday on the route of the Schönbuchbahn in the Böblingen district. An 18-year-old woman was hit by a train when crossing a level crossing and suffered serious injuries. Despite an upcoming rescue by a helicopter, she succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday afternoon. The accident not only criticizes the security of level crossings, but also raises questions about the existing warning systems.

The accident happened when the young woman wanted to cross the level crossing with an e-scooter. Although this is equipped with a St. Andrew's cross, red flashing lights and an acoustic signal, it is now being examined whether the warning signals were active at the time of the accident. The public prosecutor has already commissioned an expert to clarify the exact circumstances. "We have to find out whether the technology worked," said a spokesman for the public prosecutor. At the time of the accident, there were around 30 passengers on the train that were provided by an emergency manager during the waiting.

Security at level crossings in the focus

In Germany, the figures for e-scooter accidents increase, which makes the situation appear critical. In 2023 there were 9,425 e-scooter accidents nationwide with personal injury, which means an increase of 14.1 % compared to the previous year. It is particularly alarming that the number of fatalities in e-scooter accidents rose to 22 in the same time, which represents a doubling compared to the previous year. These statistics throw a bright light on the dangers that bring the e-scooters in road traffic. Especially among young drivers, accidents can be observed - 41.6 % of the drivers who had an accident were under 25 years old.

The accident at the unoccupied level crossing is part of a worrying statistics. In many cities, problems such as driving under the influence of alcohol or incorrect use of roads are often mentioned as crucial causes of accidents. According to a study, there were special challenges in the big cities with over 100,000 inhabitants regarding the security of e-scooters. The need to optimize the infrastructure for e-scooters is increasingly emphasized by experts. Together with the sharing providers, an improvement is required to prevent such tragic accidents in the future.

Now it remains to be seen which conclusions are drawn from the accident and which measures are pushed to improve safety at level crossings. However, the case of the 18-year-old could result in a certain rethink of acceptance and the rules of electroscooters in public transport.

For further details about this incident and its background you can read the reports from and BNN . In addition, an analysis of the current accident statistics at e-scooters on rbb A comprehensive overview of the situation in Germany.