Duisburg (dpa / lnw) – A 25-year-old is said to have tried to kill his girlfriend in a car accident in Duisburg. A heated argument broke out between the couple on Tuesday. The situation continued to escalate until the man forced his 22-year-old girlfriend at knifepoint to get into the car with him, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old drove off and tried to steer the car head-on into a concrete wall. At the last moment, the woman was able to grab the steering wheel and thus prevented the impact. Nevertheless, the car overturned – the two occupants were only slightly injured.

Investigators are convinced that the 25-year-old wanted to kill his girlfriend in the accident. He accepted his own death, said a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office. The man is in custody for attempted murder.