By Anne Losensky
He drove a heavy Mercedes SUV over three sleeping homeless people at the Zoo station. The driver has been on trial since Tuesday.
Tiergarten District Court. Accused: Refail A. (26) from Neukölln. Born in Germany, Kosovo passport. What does he live on? “Jobcenter,” he says nonchalantly, “400 euros and crushed ones.” The state also pays the rent (580 euros).
July 26, 2020. Sunday morning, not much going on in City West. A film team packs up (“We children from Bahnhof Zoo”, Amazon).
The accused Refail A. (26) in court on Tuesday Photo: Olaf Wagner
At 7:20 a.m., a Mercedes Benz GLK 220 shoots out of Joachimsthaler over the red traffic light at 70 km/h into Hardenbergstrasse: 2.4 tons, 170 hp. At the wheel Refail A.: no driver’s license, alcohol in the blood. Hits a mast. Runs over three homeless people on the sidewalk, one is thrown out of the wheelchair beforehand. The SUV overturns a concrete foot traffic light, only stopping at a mailbox holder.
“I came from the film work,” recalls federal police officer Jörg S. (50). “Heard it rattling, I’m back. It looked like a terrorist attack. I called for backup. Then I crawled to the man who was trapped under the SUV and stayed with him until the fire department lifted the car.” Three men seriously injured (spine fractures, broken bones, leg amputated).
A mailbox has been pushed out of its anchorage, a wheelchair is just a few centimeters in front of it Photo: Olaf Wagner
But the SUV driver only laments about himself. “The girlfriend broke up, he didn’t want to live anymore,” the police officer quoted him as saying. The driver himself had no scratch. The other men almost died.
The car is said to have belonged to the girlfriend’s father. The defendant plans to make a statement on July 7th. Up to five years imprisonment. The verdict is expected to be pronounced on July 26.
