On the night of July 6, 2025, a chilling scene unfolded on Mainzer Landstraße in Frankfurt’s Gallus district, captured by CCTV cameras that bore witness to a devastating collision. A car, veering onto a cycle path, struck two electric scooters carrying three young men, leaving two dead and one critically injured. Eyewitnesses reported that one of the scooters was dragged approximately 10 meters under the vehicle, a harrowing detail that underscores the violence of the crash. The tragedy, which claimed the lives of 23-year-old twin brothers and left a 27-year-old man fighting for survival, has reignited debates about e-scooter safety, urban traffic planning, and the accountability of drivers in one of Germany’s busiest cities.

The Fatal Night: A Collision Caught on Camera

The incident occurred shortly after midnight on a Saturday, as three young men and a young woman rode e-scooters along a designated cycle path on Mainzer Landstraße, near the Skyline Plaza. According to police reports, a 23-year-old driver, identified as Mohammad S., was traveling with three passengers in a car that inexplicably veered to the right, crossing into the cycle path. The vehicle struck two e-scooters: one carrying twin brothers, both 23, and another ridden by a 27-year-old man. A third scooter, operated by a 24-year-old woman trailing behind, was not directly involved but witnessed the chaos. CCTV footage from the area, later reviewed by investigators, captured the moment of impact, showing the car’s reckless trajectory and the scooters’ violent displacement.

One of the twins died instantly at the scene, while his brother succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. The 27-year-old rider was severely injured, with his scooter reportedly dragged “several meters” under the car, a distance some eyewitnesses estimated at 10 meters. This detail, discussed on platforms like Reddit, paints a grim picture of the crash’s force, as the scooter was trapped beneath the vehicle’s undercarriage. The driver initially fled the scene, leaving behind a trail of devastation, but returned on foot shortly after and surrendered to police. The vehicle, located three kilometers away, was seized for forensic analysis.

Investigations and Shocking Revelations

The Frankfurt police, supported by an expert investigation team, are piecing together the circumstances of the crash. Initial findings suggest the driver was speeding and may have consumed nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, a substance increasingly associated with reckless driving in Germany. Reports indicate that even as one victim lay on the car’s hood, the driver continued to accelerate, a detail that has shocked the community and fueled calls for justice. On July 15, 2025, the driver was arrested and placed in custody, facing charges of manslaughter, dangerous driving, and leaving the scene of an accident.

The police are actively seeking witnesses, particularly those with dashcam or additional CCTV footage, to clarify why the car veered onto the cycle path. The investigation has highlighted the vulnerability of e-scooter riders on Mainzer Landstraße, a busy thoroughfare known for its unprotected bike lanes and frequent right-turn intersections. A Reddit user, who cycles regularly on the road, noted the dangers of such intersections, where parked vehicles and obstructions like a white van can obscure visibility, leading to near-misses for cyclists and scooter riders. The user urged caution, emphasizing that many pedestrians and riders ignore traffic signals in their rush to reach Frankfurt’s Hauptbahnhof.

The Victims: A Community in Mourning

The twin brothers, whose identities have not been publicly released, were described as vibrant young men whose lives were tragically cut short. A moving funeral service, attended by hundreds, saw candles and lights glowing in their memory, a testament to their impact on their community. The 27-year-old survivor remains in critical condition, with injuries severe enough to require extensive medical intervention. The fourth rider, a 24-year-old woman, escaped physical harm but was left to grapple with the trauma of witnessing the event. Posts on X and local news outlets reflect the public’s grief, with many expressing outrage at the driver’s initial flight and calling for stricter penalties for such negligence.

The tragedy has also drawn attention from the victims’ families, with a cousin of one of the brothers appealing for eyewitnesses from Vietnam, underscoring the global reach of the incident’s impact. The community’s response, including vigils and online tributes, highlights the profound loss felt by those who knew the victims and the broader Frankfurt public.

E-Scooter Safety: A Growing Concern

This accident is part of a troubling trend of e-scooter-related injuries and fatalities in Germany. A 2025 study by the Technical University of Munich (TUM), analyzing data from the German Society for Trauma Surgery’s TraumaRegister, found that e-scooter accidents often involve serious head and facial injuries, particularly among young men riding at night or on weekends. The study reported that 62% of injured e-scooter riders tested positive for alcohol, and 54% of accidents occurred at night, patterns evident in the Frankfurt crash. Notably, none of the victims in this incident were wearing helmets, a common issue in e-scooter accidents, where helmet use is rare compared to cycling.

E-scooters, introduced in German cities like Frankfurt in 2019, have surged in popularity but brought new risks. Unlike cyclists, who often share roads with cars, e-scooter riders frequently use cycle paths, yet collisions with vehicles remain a significant hazard. A 2020 study from Frankfurt noted that 38% of e-scooter injuries involved head trauma, a risk exacerbated by the lack of helmet use and the scooters’ instability at high speeds. The Frankfurt crash, where the car crossed into a designated cycle path, highlights the need for better infrastructure, such as protected bike lanes and clearer road markings, to prevent vehicles from encroaching on spaces meant for lighter transport.

Urban Planning and Driver Accountability

The Mainzer Landstraße accident has sparked calls for improved traffic planning in Frankfurt. Reddit users and local cyclists have criticized the road’s design, noting that unprotected bike lanes and right-turn intersections create dangerous conditions. One commenter described frequent near-misses at the Güterplatz intersection, where cars turning right often fail to yield to scooters or bikes. The presence of parked vehicles and obstructions, like the white van mentioned in eyewitness accounts, further reduces visibility, increasing the risk of collisions.

The driver’s alleged use of nitrous oxide adds another layer to the tragedy. Nitrous oxide, legal for recreational use in small quantities in Germany, has been linked to impaired driving, with effects similar to alcohol, including reduced reaction times and judgment. The fact that the driver continued accelerating despite a victim on the hood suggests a severe lapse in awareness, possibly drug-induced, raising questions about the need for stricter regulations on such substances.

A Call for Change

The Frankfurt e-scooter crash, captured in stark detail by CCTV, is a sobering reminder of the dangers faced by vulnerable road users in urban environments. The image of a scooter dragged 10 meters under a car, as reported by eyewitnesses, encapsulates the violence of the collision and the fragility of those on e-scooters. As investigations continue, the focus is shifting to prevention: better road design, stricter enforcement of traffic laws, and public awareness campaigns about helmet use and sober riding. The TUM study’s authors have called for tailored safety measures, such as mandatory helmet laws and restrictions on nighttime e-scooter use, to reduce the risk of such tragedies.

For Frankfurt, a city that prides itself on modernity and mobility, the loss of the twin brothers and the near-death of another young man is a call to action. The community’s grief, expressed through candlelit vigils and online pleas for justice, demands accountability from drivers and policymakers alike. As the legal process unfolds, with the driver now in custody, the hope is that this tragedy will spur meaningful changes to make Frankfurt’s streets safer for all.

Conclusion: A Tragedy That Echoes Beyond Frankfurt

The CCTV footage of the Mainzer Landstraße crash will remain etched in the minds of those who view it—a stark depiction of a preventable tragedy. The loss of two young lives and the critical injuries of another have left a scar on Frankfurt, prompting soul-searching about how to protect e-scooter riders in an era of growing urban mobility. The eyewitness account of a scooter dragged 10 meters serves as a haunting symbol of the crash’s brutality, urging the city to act before more lives are lost. As the investigation deepens and the community mourns, the memory of the twins and the survivor’s fight for recovery will drive efforts to ensure such horror is never repeated.