27 September 1986 · Driving through
Lada crash at Chausseestraße
Two young East Berliners drove a Lada through the gate at Chausseestraße at 80 km/h but crashed into a barrier and were jailed for over four years.
At about 3:30 on 27 September 1986 two young East Berliners, aged 22 and 24, drove a Lada at the Chausseestraße crossing after a night at a disco, heavily drunk.
At about 80 km/h they broke through the entrance gate and a closed traffic barrier, but then hit a blocking element. The car was a write-off.
Both were arrested. In December 1986 the Pankow district court sentenced them to more than four years in prison and ordered them to pay for the damaged barriers.
Sources
Whose account is this? Drawn from press reports and historical research.
Press
Historians and memorials
Facts checked against the sources: September 2026
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Berlin Experiences, “Lada crash at Chausseestraße”, Berlin Wall Escapes, 2026, https://berlinwallescapes.com/escapes/lada-chausseestrasse-1986/ (accessed [date]).
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