Haireddin Mehmedov Remains in Coma After Falling From Moving Train in Germany

Haireddin Mehmedov in a medically induced coma

The Incident Near Ettlingen

The incident occurred on the evening of July 18, 2026, on a train traveling from Offenburg to Karlsruhe. According to police and prosecutor reports, the conflict began around 7:35 p.m. near Ettlingen when a ticket check escalated into a verbal dispute between the 26-year-old controller and an allegedly intoxicated passenger. Two security guards were called to intervene, but the 36-year-old passenger insulted them, leading to a physical struggle between the passenger and the 26-year-old Bulgarian employee.

Investigators in the Bruchhausen district of Ettlingen

Investigators stated that the passenger struck and kicked the employee. During the altercation, a train door was damaged, creating a crack in the lower section that caused the door to open. The employee fell onto the tracks while the train was moving at 120 km/h. He was discovered during a large-scale rescue operation approximately two kilometers before the station in the Bruchhausen district of Ettlingen. While initially in critical, life-threatening condition, the prosecutor’s office later confirmed that his state is currently no longer life-threatening, though he remains in a medically induced coma and faces further surgeries for his injuries, which include a broken leg and trauma across his body.

Legal Controversy and Ongoing Investigation

Karlsruhe District Court decision to release the suspect

The decision by the Karlsruhe court to release the suspect after a two-hour interrogation has ignited public outrage. According to sources, the judge cited that the suspect had a job and family, and therefore posed no flight risk or danger of repeating the crime. However, the victim’s uncle, Muslum Bekir, noted that while there were witnesses—including the victim’s colleagues who reported the passenger was intoxicated and threw him from the train—the available CCTV footage did not provide a clear answer as to exactly what occurred, which contributed to the court’s refusal to issue an arrest warrant.

Protests in Pavlikeni and Community Reaction

Eng. Emanuil Manolov supports the initiative

In Bulgaria, the local community of Pavlikeni, where Mehmedov is from, held a demonstration to demand a thorough investigation and quality medical care for the victim. Residents gathered in the town center carrying placards with messages such as “Глас за истина(Voice for Truth),Хари – Павликени е с теб(Hari – Pavlikeni is with you), andСправедливост” (Justice). Friends and family described the 26-year-old as a hardworking man and a devoted father to a one-year-old child.

Emanuil Manolov, supported the initiative, stating: “Благодаря на всички, които присъстват, показваме, че сме единни и съпричастни. Истината е, че един млад павликенчанин е пострадал, докато изпълнява служебния си дълг в Германия. Този протест е израз на съпричастност и на надеждата, че разследването ще бъде проведено обективно и докрай.” Manolov emphasized that the residents of Pavlikeni are relying on the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the consulate in Germany to ensure a fair investigation and assist in the medical care of the victim.

The victim’s family, including his mother and father, traveled to Germany immediately following the accident to be by his side. As the investigation continues, the community remains unified in its demand for justice and for the perpetrator to be held accountable under the full severity of the law.