Fireworks light the night sky in this undated photo. Three American soldiers in Bavaria were taken into custody by military police Monday night after allegedly tossing dozens of lit fireworks from a moving vehicle, according to local media reports. (Quinton Lee/U.S. Navy)
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Three U.S. soldiers in Bavaria were turned over to military police Monday night after allegedly hurling dozens of lit fireworks from a moving car, according to local media reports.
The incident, which occurred around 8:40 p.m., was witnessed on a federal highway about 30 minutes northeast of the Army’s vast training area in Grafenwoehr, several local news outlets reported Tuesday.
The soldiers, all 20 or 21 years old, were reportedly observed by a passenger in another vehicle tossing about 20 to 30 exploding fireworks from their car windows, some toward oncoming traffic. The men were also allegedly traveling at excessive speeds.
According to reports, the witness who spotted the soldiers alerted authorities, who stopped the vehicle about 12 miles down the road from the incident near Grafenwoehr.
Officers said they found additional fireworks in the vehicle, many of which are illegal in Germany. E-cigarette liquids believed to have come from the Czech Republic were also confiscated. Customs officials are now reviewing those items, Oberpfalz police said in a press release.
The soldiers were handed over to military police for investigation, local authorities said. It remains unclear how powerful the fireworks were, and German police are continuing to assess potential damage to vehicles.
U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria referred questions about the investigation and the soldiers’ status to V Corps, which did not immediately respond.
Army officials in Germany have previously issued fireworks safety warnings to soldiers, noting that off-post use is only allowed under local law from Dec. 31 to Jan. 1 for New Year’s celebrations, and personal fireworks are strictly prohibited on post.
Stars and Stripes reporter Marcus Kloeckner contributed to this report.
