German politician in ceremonial digging mishap

A German politician ended up trapped in a toppled-over 40-tonne digger at a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of a new road project. His minders pulled him out through a smashed window. Bavarian state Interior Minister, Joachim Herrmann, had been invited to kick off construction of a new road in the rural Allgäu area.



He managed to get into the digger's cabin without mishap, and was preparing to dig up the first clump of earth when the vehicle fell over, trapping Herrmann inside. His two bodyguards and the digger driver rushed to help the 56-year-old out through the front window, which had smashed.



Paramedics rushed the ruffled politician to privacy, treating him for minor facial scratches and a bruised ego at the nearby house of Ulrich Netzer, the mayor of Kempten – who had been involved in organising the construction of the new road. Herrmann, who has been Bavaria’s Interior Minister since 2007 and is a member of the Christian Social Union said, “I’m fine, the shock is over.”


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An emergency rescue helicopter circling overhead was given the all-clear and returned to base. The road, known as the “Kempten Nordspange” has been opposed by residents, but was given the go -ahead by authorities who say it will improve the infrastructure of the area.