Wuppertal: A wild night of hit-and-runs, stolen cars, and a lamp post that never stood a chance
Crikey, Wuppertal! You’d think a Saturday night would be pretty quiet, but then all hell breaks loose. And we’re not talking about a few dings and dents here. We’re talking about a night that even had the patrol crews doing a double-take. Within the space of just a few hours, there was a hit-and-run, a stolen car, and a lamp post that never stood a chance.
Stolen car, meet lamp post
Let’s start in the city centre. The Bergische Universität Wuppertal is usually pretty peaceful when the lecture halls are empty. But nearby, on the way to the Historische Stadthalle Wuppertal GmbH – a place where concert-goers in bow ties are the usual crowd – a bizarre incident unfolded early in the evening. A 55-year-old man was clearly under the influence, but that was the least of his problems. He got into a car that definitely wasn't his. Stolen, the whole deal.
The bloke took off, but the joyride ended exactly how you’d expect: with a loud crunch into a lamp post. No one was hurt, thank goodness, but the borrowed car was a write-off, and he’s now facing charges for theft and hit-and-run. Honestly, I’m surprised he even made it that far. But this city had more in store for the night.
Hit-and-run at Sonnborner Ufer
While the 55-year-old was being detained, things were kicking off over at Sonnborner Ufer. There was a crash there that was a close shave with something much worse. A car ploughed into a lamp post – but that’s only half the story.
From what we hear, the driver had already been in quite a state earlier. A hit-and-run after an initial accident, then, while trying to get away, the second crash. Thankfully, no one was in any life-threatening danger, but the impact was massive. Someone who pulls a stunt like that has either got absolutely nothing left to lose, or they’re living in a fantasy world. Sonnborner Ufer was completely closed off for recovery and investigation. Anyone needing to go that way was well and truly out of luck.
- What we know: A drunk 55-year-old nicks a car and ends up wrapped around a lamp post (near the Uni/Halle).
- What else we know: Another driver was on some kind of solo rampage, caused a crash and fled, only to crash again shortly after at Sonnborner Ufer.
- Where the chaos was: Road closures were in place around the CinemaxX Wuppertal and the Stadthalle, as well as around Sonnborner Ufer.
Just another night that shows Wuppertal’s true colours
I’ve lived here for over twenty years now, and nights like this happen from time to time. Usually, the Historische Stadthalle Wuppertal GmbH is the go-to spot for culture, but this time it was unfortunately the hotspot for a wild joyride. Just picture it: someone steals a car, drives it through town, past the CinemaxX Wuppertal where people are just trying to catch a movie, and then smacks into a pole.
The local radio crew had their hands full just keeping everyone updated. And the emergency services? They ended up dealing with two crash sites that weren’t related, but somehow sent the same message: if you’re drunk and get behind the wheel, or if you think you can get away with a hit-and-run, you’ve got rocks in your head. The fact that no one died in either case is a genuine miracle.
All we can do is hope next week in Wuppertal is a bit quieter. But honestly? It’s never boring here. And in a way, that’s what we love about this city, nestled between the suspension railway and the hills. Even if I could do without headlines like this.