German man drives for 56 years without license

By Cuneyt Karadag

BERLIN (AA) - A minor road accident is usually nothing to write home about, but when police in a small German town attended a crash recently, they got more than they bargained for.

Officers in Neheim, northeastern Germany attended an intersection collision between two vehicles, one driven by 74-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman on Friday.

Luckily both drivers were unhurt, but upon questioning officers discovered the elderly male had been driving on German roads for 56 years without a license.

According to a police statement on Monday, the man told officials he had started an application for his driver's license before enlisting in the army decades before.

After completing compulsory military service, he did not continue his driving lessons, police said.

Under German law, all motorized vehicle users must have a valid license, obtained after passing a driving test.

The cost for obtaining a driving license can be up to €1,400 ($1,670).