German tractor driver mows down speed cameras
December 12, 2017
Drivers in the small western German town of Gernsheim woke up to a curious sight on Tuesday, after six of the town's radar-trap speed cameras were uprooted and crushed the night before.
Read more: Cologne to refund 365,000 drivers fined incorrectly
Pictures of the damaged speed cameras showed the gray cylinders ripped off their bases, dented significantly, or uprooted from their cement foundations.
Police said in a statement that they had detained a 63-year-old man who they are investigating as the prime suspect in the case.
Read more: German police pull python out of man's pants after noticing "considerable bulge"
According to authorities, the man drove his tractor through the small town on Monday night and into early Tuesday morning appearing to target the speed cameras. Although the man was later released from police detention, the man's tractor was not. The vehicle was seized as evidence.
The late-night drive managed to cause hundreds of thousands of euros in damages, according to police estimates.
Read more: WWII bomb scare leads German police to large zucchini
Speaking with German daily newspaper Bild, police spokesman Bernd Hochstädter said that alcohol was not a factor and that the man was likely not caught by the speed camera as the tractor "only reaches 6 km/h," or 3.7 mph.
An investigation into what motivated the speed camera attack continues, authorities said in a statement.