Hersfeld-Rotenburg Celebrates Cycling Record and Police Seek Crash Witnesses

The Hersfeld-Rotenburg district recently celebrated a successful conclusion to its municipal and school cycling campaign, which achieved a historic participation milestone. Held this year from September 6 to September 26 following the summer break, the three-week initiative brought together 1,206 cyclists across 86 teams who collectively pedaled 204,160 kilometers, saving an estimated 33 tons of carbon dioxide.

Reflecting on the event, District Administrator Torsten Warnecke praised the strong community spirit and noted that the timing outside of exam periods and school festivals allowed students and teachers to fully engage. "Despite the unusual timing, many kilometers were cycled together again," Warnecke stated, highlighting the enthusiasm seen from the opening stretch between Bad Hersfeld and Cornberg.

A standout achievement came from the Blumensteinschule Wildeck team, which logged 15,639 kilometers to secure the highest team mileage in the six-year history of the local initiative. Among municipalities, Cornberg took the top spot for kilometers ridden per resident, followed by Wildeck and Hohenroda. Organizers Jörg Peters and Thomas Giese confirmed that due to the overwhelming success, the district will continue the tradition, scheduling the 2027 event from August 15 to September 4.

In a formal ceremony, district leaders and André Kipp, a board member of Sparkasse Bad Hersfeld-Rotenburg, honored top participants. The bank has partnered with the program for years, offering cash prizes of 500 euros, 300 euros, and 200 euros to the top three schools with the highest proportion of active riders relative to their student populations.

Meanwhile, local law enforcement in the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district reported multiple traffic incidents requiring public assistance. In Bad Hersfeld, authorities are searching for witnesses following a hit-and-run collision on October 31. A Dacia driven by a resident from Schenklengsfeld was struck on the rear driver's side bumper while parked on Heinrich-von-Stephan-Straße, resulting in approximately 500 euros in damages.

Police are also investigating a separate incident on October 30 involving a city bus that was forced to brake sharply on Falkenblick to avoid a collision with an oncoming vehicle that disregarded the bus's right-of-way. The sudden maneuver injured a 67-year-old passenger, who was transported to a nearby hospital for medical evaluation. The driver responsible for the close call left the scene.

An additional hit-and-run occurred in Bebra on October 31, where a Mitsubishi parked on Nürnberger Straße sustained roughly 1,500 euros in damage to its front left bumper. The driver of the other vehicle fled the scene without fulfilling legal obligations, prompting the Rotenburg police station to appeal for any information from the public.