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Scene of the accident in Berlin in September 2019
Photo: Britta Pedersen / dpa
The car tore several metal bollards out of the ground, hit a traffic light and rolled over several times at the intersection in downtown Berlin.
Four pedestrians had no chance, they died.
That was on September 6, 2019.
A year and a half later, the public prosecutor in the capital has now indicted the 44-year-old driver of the car.
During an epileptic seizure, he is said to have raced into the group unchecked and at more than a hundred kilometers per hour.
A three-year-old boy was also killed.
The man is accused of negligent homicide.
The prosecution said that he was driving even though he was unable to do so because of his known seizure disorder and brain surgery only recently.
The driver is said to have been asked several times by his neurologist not to sit behind the wheel until further notice.
According to the investigation, the SUV driver on Invalidenstrasse is said to have swerved into the opposite lane, past waiting vehicles.
Because of the epileptic seizure, he was "constantly accelerating fully," it said.
According to earlier statements by the prosecutor, it was assumed that the man was taking medication on a regular basis.
The authorities had ruled out a technical defect in the vehicle.
The driver's lawyer wrote to the public prosecutor after the accident and pointed out an "acute health emergency" for his client.
For the investigation, the driver's home had also been searched to secure evidence.
Residents had made their outrage and concern about the dangerous traffic situation in the area public after the accident.
After an Internet petition, the Senate promised quick improvements around the scene of the accident.
The Tempo 30 section was then introduced. Protected cycle lanes that had been announced for a long time were also created.
bam / dpa
