Teenage driver in Niedernhall runs over 12-year-old with his car after an argument in a parking lot and kills him

Niedernhall: 12-year-old run over after argument in supermarket parking lot

A tragic incident occurred in Niedernhall in the Hohenlohe district on Thursday evening. A 12-year-old boy was hit by a car in the parking lot of a supermarket and fatally injured. According to the police, the driver was an 18-year-old who was arrested at the scene.

"Temporarily detained? He should be deprived of any right to ever see the light of day again!!" [sic]

According to the information available so far, the young man and his 16-year-old companion initially got into an argument with two children. The exact cause of the argument is not yet known. After the argument, the children, aged 12 and 13, left the parking lot in Criesbacher Straße on a bicycle and a scooter.

A police spokesperson described what happened next: "When the two boys, aged 12 and 13, left the scene on a bicycle and a scooter, the 18-year-old and his 16-year-old companion allegedly got into the older boy's Audi, followed the children and hit the 12-year-old on his bicycle."

The child fell after the collision and died of his serious injuries at the scene. His companion, who was the same age, remained physically unharmed. The driver of the Audi was immediately arrested by the police at the scene. An arrest warrant was requested for him and he is now to be presented to a magistrate.

The investigation is now being conducted by the Künzelsau Criminal Investigation Department. Numerous witnesses who observed the incident are currently being questioned. It is still unclear whether there was a previous history between the parties involved or whether the argument escalated by chance.

Several eyewitnesses who witnessed the incident are currently being questioned. The police hope that their statements will enable them to reconstruct the course of events more precisely. An expert has already examined the scene and is preparing an expert report that should provide further information.

The news has caused deep shock in the community. Niedernhall's mayor Achim Beck explained: "We are deeply shocked and stunned. We can't believe it and are also at a loss." Numerous residents laid flowers at the scene of the crime to commemorate the deceased boy.

Legally, the 18-year-old is considered an adolescent. In Germany, this age group falls into a special category: the court must decide on a case-by-case basis whether juvenile or adult criminal law should be applied. The decisive factor here is whether the offender's personality still shows typical juvenile traits or whether the offense is more likely to be classified as juvenile in character.

The differences are considerable. Under juvenile criminal law, manslaughter can be punished with a prison sentence of up to ten years, in particularly serious cases up to 15 years. If, on the other hand, the court applies adult criminal law, the sentence is between a minimum of five and a maximum of 15 years.

Apart from the question of the motive for the crime, there has so far been no further information on the extent to which the role of the 16-year-old companion is to be legally assessed. However, there is currently no warrant for his arrest. The public was deeply shocked and upset.

"Everyone so ready for violence. Sick", wrote one user. Other users also expressed their grief and dismay.

One user, however, could not believe how the case had been handled so far. He commented, saying:

"Temporarily detained? He should be stripped of any right to ever see the light of day again!!" [sic]

A harsh demand that many users apparently agreed with, as the number of likes showed.

Niedernhall itself is a small municipality in the Hohenlohe district, characterized by Franconian culture and with just over 4000 inhabitants. Such an incident is unprecedented in this quiet community, and the shock among the population is correspondingly great. Many hope that the investigation will soon shed more light on the background to the crime.