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Germany: Drunken teen unharmed after train rolls over him

Rebecca Staudenmaier
June 24, 2020

An intoxicated 15-year-old was miraculously unharmed after he fell asleep on the tracks and a train drove over him. Police found him safe and still asleep, telling him he should consider the day a "second birthday."

https://p.dw.com/p/3eF6C
A stretch of German railway lines, between Frankfurt (Oder) and Cottbus in the east.
Image: picture-alliance/Andreas Franke

German police said a "guardian angel" was looking out for a 15-year-old boy after he managed to walk away with out a scratch after a train rolled over him.

The incident took place shortly after midnight on Wednesday in the western German town of Kirn.

According to a police statement, the 15-year-old had been out partying with friends and was on his way home. 

He'd had too much to drink and decided to take a rest before going further, unknowingly laying down on some nearby train tracks.

Read more:  Coronavirus: German passenger rail demand plummets, but freight services key

The teen then fell asleep and didn't notice when a local train passed right over him, causing him no harm.

The driver of the train alerted the police, saying he wasn't sure if the person on the tracks was still alive after the train passed over him.

Local authorities were surprised to discover the teen was still alive when the reached the scene. He even had to be woken up.

The 15-year-old was eventually handed over to his father, but only after police made clear "that today could be seen as his second birthday," Kirn police said in a statement.

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