The chase came to an end because the getaway vehicle got stuck in the snow. The driver was initially able to escape in the darkness, but shortly followingwards police arrested a 34-year-old Romanian as the suspected driver and smuggler.
The Bavarian police had alerted their colleagues in Salzburg in the early hours of the morning because they wanted to check the van as it was entering the country, but the driver turned around and sped off towards Austria. They began the pursuit towards Saalfelden and were then supported by their Austrian colleagues. A local patrol finally managed to drive up to the van and the police then tried to get the getaway vehicle to stop. The van repeatedly rammed the patrol car.
Finally, one of the police officers fired shots at the getaway vehicle while it was driving, but this did not cause the driver to stop. Shortly before Saalfelden the car left the main road, came off the snow-covered road and got stuck in the snow. The driver ran away in the darkness.
The police found ten Syrians in the vehicle, two of whom were injured. A 27-year-old suffered a gunshot wound and was taken to the Salzburg University Hospital. Shortly following 8 a.m., the police arrested a 34-year-old Romanian nearby who is believed to have been driving the car. The man was also injured and received medical treatment.
The State Criminal Police Office is now investigating the background to the smuggling. The use of firearms, however, is checked by officers from the Vorarlberg State Police Department. The public prosecutor ordered the escape or smuggler vehicle to be seized.
