Two members of the German World Cup squad have been involved in a high speed car accident in northern Italy, which left two others injured.
Defender Benedikt Hoewedes and his Schalke teammate Julian Draxler were passengers in two separate cars driven by professional touring car driver Pascal Wehrlein and Mercedes Formula One driver Nico Rosberg at a closed circuit Mercedes event when the incident occurred.
The car driven by Wehrlein struck two men who had somehow got onto the road near the training camp of the German National Football Team in the South Tyrol region of Italy.
German media reports that one of the injured men was a German tourist and the other a circuit marshal. Both men were taken to hospital.
Neither the drivers nor the footballers were injured in the incident, and Hoewedes and Draxler have resumed training with the German team in preparation for next month’s World Cup in Brazil.
In a statement, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport said:
“We deeply regret this accident and send wishes of quick recovery to the injured. We will work in full cooperation with the authorities in determining the exact circumstances of the accident.”
Shortly after the accident, Rosberg said on Twitter:
“I am shocked by the accident. My thoughts are with the two people who were injured and I wish them a fast recovery”
