German officials said this on Monday Police responded to the situation A drunk train driver was allegedly behind the derailment of a crowded passenger train on Sunday.
The regional train, RE6, was scheduled to stop at a station in a town called Rheda-Wiedenbrück in the western and most populous German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
But the driver reportedly drove the train past the station and later stopped the train on an open track between stations when a train conductor arrived and suspected the driver might be drunk, according to WDR, the public broadcaster in the region.
WDR reported that the driver had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.267% or 2.67 per milliliter, indicating a very high level of intoxication that could be potentially dangerous.
In Germany, anything above BAC 0.05% or 0.5 per milConsidered driving under the influence. But when it comes to people under 21 and those working on public transport, there are even stricter laws.
The fire department also said that around 250 passengers aboard the RE6 were evacuated and no one was injured. According to WDR, the driver has been taken into custody and faces criminal charges.
Edited by: Jennifer Cimino Gonzalez