German Driver Survives Hairy Collision With British Tank By The Skin Of Her Teeth
If an inexperienced, 18-year-old German driver had paid attention to one important road sign while driving her Toyota in Augustdorf, her car may not have been crushed by a British tank.
The woman — who wasn’t named for privacy reasons — turned into the column of tanks traveling through a small town in northern Germany called Augustdorf. They were traveling down on a street actually named “Tank Ring Road,” or Panzerringstrasse, the Daily Telegraph reported.
When she pulled out, the Brit at the controls of the 68-ton Challenger wasn’t able to stop. But he had his wits about him — he turned just in time to miss the person inside, and crushed the hood instead.
Luckily, the driver was rescued from her Yaris, suffering no serious injuries. The hood bore the brunt of the damage, to the tune of $13,500, Mashable reported.
Tanks aren’t an unusual sight around those parts, NBC News added. The spot is near two British military bases and it’s used regularly for training exercises. Panzerringstrasse was actually built for such a purpose, but it’s a shortcut for the locals, a spokesman said.
The British army told the Local that they’ve no doubt where the blame lies — and it’s not with the soldier.
“The German military police are suggesting it was the Toyota driver’s fault. They’re saying she did not err on the side of caution. Whether the German civil police agree is another matter.”
There’s also no doubt that the soldiers need to have their skills updated. There was clear visibility and, despite the newbie’s alleged carelessness, the tank still avoided a more deadly collision, the spokesman stressed. According to the Local, three men are posted from a turret nearby, making sure the way is clear. That is why “(it) was able to stop soon enough.”
“Our driving crews go through a very vigorous process before being allowed on the roads and both crews and vehicles are checked regularly.”
With any hope, this particular driver will take a different shortcut next time.
[Photo Courtesy of Mashable, Twitter]
