Turkish victory celebration marred by fatal car accident in Neukölln

Thursday, June 27

Fatal car accident in Neukölln after Turkish victory celebration

As soon as the final whistle was blown in Hamburg, the victory celebrations began: flags waved, car horns sounded and chants were sung late into the night as Berlin’s Turkish community celebrated the victory of their national team. With the victory against the Czech Republic, Turkey moved into the round of 16 and will face Austria next Tuesday, July 2nd.

Crowds of football fans gathered across the city, with hundreds gathering around Kurfürstendamm for an impromptu party. There were a few fireworks and bottle throwing, but the gathering was largely incident-free. Police said over a loudspeaker: “Go home peacefully, enjoy it and we’ll see you in the round of 16.”

On the other side of the city, however, a vehicle allegedly flying Turkish national flags was involved in a serious car accident on Hermannstrasse. At around 11 p.m., a 57-year-old man was crossing the street in Neukölln when he was hit by a speeding vehicle. The driver initially fled the scene of the accident but later turned himself in to the police.