Germany: Families brawl, shutting down Cologne autobahn

An argument between two drivers and their families on the autobahn in Cologne escalated into an open brawl.

The fracas saw the highway — the oldest in Germany, which connects the western cities of Cologne and Bonn — closed in one direction by police for 90 minutes.

What do we know happened?

Police in the western German city responded to the incident Saturday afternoon around 3:30 p.m. local time on the shoulder of the A555 autobahn.

Some 10 people, including the drivers and passengers in a taxi, a BMW, and a third car were all involved in the fight.

The driver of the BMW, aged 32, was said to have cut off the taxi driver while merging. Both vehicles then stopped on the shoulder near Cologne-Godorf shortly after the Cologne-Rodenkirchen exit where the two drivers began to quarrel.

The taxi driver, aged 59, was carrying his family at the time. They got out of the car and intervened. The cab driver's son, who was in the vehicle behind him, also pulled over and got involved.

Police retrieve knife

Authorities said the taxi driver and an 18-year-old in one of the vehicles required medical assistance in the hospital due to "internal emergencies." Seven individuals walked away with minor injuries.

A police spokesperson said, "They were able to leave the hospital again without complaint."

Police dogs helped recover a knife used during the altercation in the grass beside the autobahn.

Those involved were charged with dangerous bodily harm, threatening behavior, and traffic violations. Phillip Hüwe, a police spokesperson said, "Both groups acted completely irresponsibly."

ar/rc (AFP)

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