A car crash in the quiet town of Bohmte in northwestern Germany left several people injured on Sunday after a vehicle veered off a residential street, struck a child playing in a backyard, and came to rest in the roof of a nearby barn. The incident, which occurred on July 20, involved a 42-year-old driver, his family, and a young child who happened to be on a trampoline when the car barreled into the garden.

Bohmte

Germany

According to local police in Lower Saxony, the sequence of events began when the vehicle, for reasons still under investigation, collided with a parked car. The impact sent it through a hedge and into private property, where it struck a 7-year-old boy who was playing on a trampoline. “Shortly after the vehicle left the roadway, it entered the garden and hit the child,” police said in a statement on Monday. The boy sustained serious injuries and was transported to hospital by air ambulance.

Lower Saxony

The car’s path didn’t end there. Police noted that after the collision in the garden, the vehicle continued over uneven terrain, which appeared to have launched it into the air. It then struck the roof of a neighboring barn, landing approximately three meters off the ground and partially embedding itself in the structure.

Inside the car were five people: the driver, his wife, their two sons aged 11 and 12, and a 13-year-old friend of the family. The driver’s wife also suffered serious injuries, while the driver and the three children sustained minor wounds. All were treated on the scene before being taken to hospital.

The dramatic nature of the crash drew a significant emergency response. More than 40 firefighters were dispatched to the scene, accompanied by over a dozen ambulances and two rescue helicopters. The vehicle, precariously lodged in the barn roof, had to be removed using a crane. Firefighters reportedly cut into the barn’s structure in order to stabilize and extract the car safely. “This was an unusual and complex rescue operation,” said a spokesperson for the local fire department, emphasizing the coordination required to manage both the technical removal and medical support.

Firefighter

Rescue helicopters

Police confirmed that an investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing. Authorities have not yet disclosed whether speed, mechanical failure, or other factors may have contributed. The name of the driver has not been released.

By Monday morning, images from the scene showed extensive damage to the garden and surrounding structures, including toppled play equipment and a gaping hole in the barn roof.

Residents of Bohmte, a town normally associated with tranquility rather than traffic accidents, expressed shock at the rare and violent incident. Authorities have not indicated whether charges might be pending but stated that findings from the ongoing investigation would determine next steps.

Bohmte

As of the latest reports, both the boy and the woman injured in the crash remain hospitalized. Their conditions were described as serious but stable.