In brief
A Hungarian national attempted to dodge a fare by jumping onto the exterior of a moving train, leading to a remarkable sequence of events as authorities worked to ensure his safety and investigate potential fraud.
The odd incident unfolded when a 40-year-old Hungarian man boarded the ICE train in Munich without a valid ticket. Aiming for a quick smoke break at Ingolstadt station, he underestimated time, and as the train's doors sealed, he found himself stranded.In a split-second decision, he leaped onto a bracket between two train carriages, gripping onto the cables as the train accelerated towards Nuremberg at speeds reaching 282 km/h (175 mph). Witnesses on board quickly alerted the authorities, prompting federal police to communicate with the train’s driver.The driver made an unscheduled stop at Kinding, located about 30 kilometers from the last station, to address the precarious situation. It was revealed that the man had left his luggage on the train, further securing his desperation to reunite with his belongings after his smoking break.Miraculously, he emerged from the experience unharmed. A state police officer, coincidentally traveling on the train, found the man outside and brought him safely back on board. He was subsequently handed over to federal police at Nuremberg central station.While the man avoided serious physical harm, he now faces an investigation for benefit fraud due to his fare-dodging tactics, along with potential charges for causing disruption to railway operations, which is treated as a minor administrative infraction. Federal police have taken this opportunity to caution the public against such dangerous behaviors on the rail network.
