German truck driver convicted over crash with tour buses

A German truck driver was convicted today of causing death through negligence when his vehicle was involved a pile-up with two British tour buses earlier this year.

He was given a two-year suspended prison sentence. A court in Kerpen, near Cologne, found that Frank Schade (aged 33) was driving his truck although he was exhausted when the accident occurred on February 11 on the A4 highway.

The accident left three people dead: a 14-year-old boy, a 69-year-old bus driver and a 54-year-old passenger who died two days later. Another 29 people were injured.

The crash happened after a first bus carrying British schoolchildren broke down and pulled off to the side of the road, with its emergency lights flashing.

Shortly afterwards, Schade’s truck, laden with iron rods, crashed into the broken-down bus and spun across the road, blocking traffic.

A second British bus, travelling independently of the first, then ploughed into the pile-up.