A ticket checker was pushed from a moving train in Germany after a fare dispute. The suspect was arrested. An investigation is now underway.
A ticket checker has suffered serious injuries after he was allegedly attacked by a passenger on a train during a ticket check in Germany.
The incident involved a 26-year-old security guard who fell from a train travelling at 120km/h, resulting in severe head injuries. The attack took place when the worker fell against a train door during a physical altercation with a 36-year-old passenger.
The incident occurred on a regional train operated by Deutsche Bahn near Ettlingen-Bruchhausen in western Germany. The train was travelling between Offenburg and Karlsruhe on Friday evening.
Passenger Arrested, Investigation Launched
The altercation reportedly started after the passenger, a German national, was asked for his ticket. A verbal argument ensued, leading to two security guards being called to assist. A physical fight then occurred between the passenger, who was allegedly drunk, and the 26-year-old Bulgarian security guard, who fell through a door that opened when he was pushed into it. The guard was pushed with such force that a section of the entrance steps broke off.
Train drivers are normally notified when a door opens while the train is running, triggering an emergency stop. This is not believed to have happened on Friday.
An investigation has been launched. The 36-year-old suspect was arrested onboard, but charges remain unclear.
The guard was found near the tracks about 1.25 miles from where the train stopped. A similar incident occurred in February, when a conductor died after an attack by a fare evader in Rhineland-Palatinate.