Baden-Württemberg: Man steals bus – flees from police

A 21-year-old man stole a public bus in Baden-Württemberg , triggering a major police operation in North Rhine-Westphalia a few hours later: An attentive passerby noticed the man's unsafe driving in Greven in Münsterland and informed the police, they said. A manhunt was immediately launched for the bus, which had been stolen that morning.

The bus driver ignored the officers' stop signals and sped off across several highways. According to police, he also ignored red lights, drove in some streets against the direction of traffic, and damaged other vehicles, guardrails, and traffic signs with the bus. Certain streets and highway entrances were closed during the pursuit to ensure that no other road users were endangered.

The escape route reportedly led from Greven to Münster, from there onto the A1 motorway toward Bremen, and finally onto the A30 toward Amsterdam. "The bus was pursued by police patrol cars along the entire route and repeatedly asked to stop," it was reported. Emergency services were finally able to stop the vehicle that afternoon on the A30, just past the Ibbenbüren-West junction.

The driver, originally from Baden-Württemberg, was arrested with minor injuries. Investigations into the circumstances of the incident and the total amount of damage are ongoing.