Attack with iron bar and hit-and-run after brawl: chaos at the German border area
The police are looking for witnesses after a road rage incident in which the occupants of a car were allegedly threatened with an iron bar and spat on.
The incident took place at 9pm on Monday night in the Haupt-/Tüllinger Strasse area of Weil-Ost.
A Swiss driver, who lives in Riehen, is accused of frightened the occupants of another car by driving too fast. The police say the occupants of the car then made gestures towards the man, which prompted the Swiss driver to "drive aggressively". He is accused of then harassing them, which forced them to pull over. The young Swiss driver then got out of his vehicle and allegedly threatened and tried to hit one of the people in the car.
The other man took steps to defend himself, before the Swiss driver allegedly took an iron bar from his car and continued his physical and verbal assault. While doing so, he also allegedly spat in the face of one of the car occupants.
The victims fled the scene and went directly to a police station to report the incident. They also gave the number plate of the driver to the police. The police have begun and investigation and are looking for witnesses.
Basler gets into fight with other driver
The police are also looking for witnesses following a second road rage incident which happened on Monday on Basler Strasse in Grenzach-Wyhlen.
The incident happened as a 56-year-old man was driving his Toyota Yaris with Swiss number plates along the «Hörnle» route from the border crossing point in the direction of Grenzach.
At the bus stop near the Aldi supermarket, the driver of a white Fiat-Doblo behind the man’s car allegedly honked his horn to signal him to overtake a bus in front. The Toyota driver honked his horn in response and continued driving towards a construction site. Both drivers had to stop there because of the red traffic light. The driver of the Fiat then got out of his car and allegedly hit the Toyota driver through the driver’s open window. As a result, he also got out of his car and the two men began fighting. During the brawl, the Toyota driver's t-shirt was torn and his glasses were damaged.
The Toyota driver then asked other drivers to call the police. This prompted the accused to get back into his Fiat and attempt drive away. The Toyota driver then stood in front of the Fiat to tried to prevent the man from getting away. However, the attacker allegedly hit the accelerator and the car struck the man, who fell and suffered injuries. The Fiat driver is accused of then driving around the man, who was lying on the street.
Drunken e-scooter driver drives into the arms of the police
A drunk driver is facing criminal and traffic charges after he drove his electric scooter directly towards a police patrol in Rheinfelden in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The man had been driving along Rheinbrückstraße when the officers pulled him over. They discovered the 56-year-old was drunk and had no valid insurance for the scooter. An alcohol breath test gave a result of about 1 per mille alcohol. The man had to also give a blood sample. The 56-year-old Swiss man told the officials that he thought he could drive the e-scooter without insurance and in a drunken state.
This mistake was ill-fated, as the man is now facing criminal charges for driving drunk in traffic and as well as breaching the compulsory insurance act. In addition, the 56-year-old also had to pay a deposit.
50,000 visitors expected at the 4th «Fantasy Basel»
«Fantasy Basel» opens its doors for the fourth time on Thursday. More than 50,000 film, game, comic, and cosplay fans are expected to attend the three days of the festival.
Personalities from the film and TV world as well as 200 artists and cosplayers form part of the programme in four halls of Messe Basel, according to a press release. Stars and artists from the series «Gotham», «Game of Thrones» or «Vikings» as well as from films such as «Wonder Woman», «Solo: A Star Wars Story» or «Blade Runner: 2049» are expected. There is also a gaming area.
The poster of this year's festival was designed by Enrico Marini. He is considered as one of the most important illustrators within the current comic scene.
«Fantasy Basel» was held for the first time in 2015. According to the organisers, it is the largest convention in Switzerland with around 60,000 square metres of floor space. Last year, the festival attracted 43,000 visitors.
The visitors dressed up as cosplayers who portray characters from films and games also cause a sensation. They also compete in daily contests.
Passage by Stadtcasino gets a new name
The passageway between Steinenberg and Barfüsserplatz, which was created by the renovation of the Stadtcasino, will be given the name «Konzertgasse».
The nomenclature commission has examined various proposals for the nomination of this new passageway in Basel and also discussed the matter with the Basel casino company. The new name refers to the first concert hall in Basel, which was opened in 1876, and the fact that the Stadtcasino Basel, which is currently being renovated, is still the central venue for concerts in Basel.
At the moment, the passage between Steinenberg and Barfüsserplatz cannot be entered due to the closed construction site. The «Konzertgasse» is expected to be accessible next year. The passage will then also receive its own road sign.
The decision, taken at the request of the nomenclature commission by the head of the Department of Justice and Security, will be published in the cantonal journal (9 May 2018 edition). This is the normal procedure for street names.