Young ambulance driver sentenced over fatal Ahaus rail crossing crash

A court in Borken, western Germany, sentenced a 19-year-old ambulance driver to 100 hours of community service and a road-safety course.

The crash happened in September 2025 in Ahaus, during a patient transfer without emergency lights.

The driver stopped on a rail crossing after the 88-year-old patient's condition worsened.

A regional train struck the ambulance, and the patient died at the scene; the driver, two ambulance workers, the train driver and a passenger were slightly injured.

The driver said she had not realised she was on a crossing and apologised to the woman's family.

The German Red Cross said it had followed requirements and used staff with the necessary qualifications.