The novice driver apparently failed to spot an entire convoy of tanks as they travelled through the small town of Augustdorf, in north-west Germany. She attempted to turn left in front of it – and got a rude awakening when the Challenger 2 tank at the head of the convoy ploughed over her bonnet.
The armoured vehicles, from the nearby British Army base at Paderborn, were heading for training exercises when the collision occurred. The tank – driven by a 24-year-old British national – emerged with barely a scratch, and, thankfully, so did the driver of the Toyota.
However, local police – who released photographs of the aftermath – estimated that the accident caused £8700 worth of damage to her car. Judging by the photo we assume that’s the cost of a new one.
An Army spokesperson said: “We can confirm that there was a road traffic incident involving a Challenger 2 tank and a car driven by a German national. The Royal Military Police are working alongside the German civil police to investigate the incident.”
Earlier this year another tank from the Paderborn garrison crashed into the front garden of an elderly couple. The Warrior vehicle veered off the road after a bolt broke in a wheel.
