TWO married couples are dead after their British car veered off the road and smashed into trees in Germany.
The horrific accident happened shortly after midnight on Saturday near a highway in the Kassel district, north of Hesse in central Germany.
The 32-year-old male driver and three female passengers aged 30, 31 and 32 all died at the scene despite the best efforts of German emergency services.
The car had a British number plate, but it is understood UK officials have not been contacted for assistance.
The car appears to have veered off the road at around 12:30am on Saturday.
It shot into a coppice of trees around 30m from the road, according to the Kassel police department.
One of the victims’ phones sent an automatic alert to the emergency services, who sent an ambulance to the scene.
Fire engines, more ambulances and police vehicles were all dispatched when the severity of the accident became clear.
The car was on its side and wedged between two trees when crews arrived.
Emergency workers only discovered there was a car full of people when they removed the roof.
All four people were pronounced dead at the scene after being pulled from the wreckage.
Those who worked on the victims were immediately supported by the specialist mental health workers.
A fire department spokesperson said: “The situation on scene was that a car was lying on its side, wedged between several trees.
“Initially, we assumed there were only two people in the wreckage.
“A crew was therefore dispatched to explore the wider area to search for any occupants who might have been ejected during the impact.
“At the same time, the vehicle was stabilized and a technical rescue using hydraulic rescue equipment was initiated.
“Shortly after the start of operations, we identified another person in the back seat.
“Once we had almost completely removed the roof, we discovered another person in the car.
“The emergency doctor checked the vital functions of the occupants, but unfortunately could only confirm that all of them were dead.”
Reflecting on the night’s horrors, the spokesperson said: “This high number of deaths is an extraordinary operation for our Reinhardshagen Volunteer Fire Department.
“For some of the emergency personnel, it is the first time they have been confronted with death in this way.
“Therefore, a great deal is being done to help us process these images.
“We will also discuss this among ourselves and within families, because not everyone can easily shake off what they have seen.”
A police investigation into the crash is ongoing.
