Two men died and a third was critically injured after two motorcycles collided on the L124 road in Cologne-Gremberg in the early hours of Saturday.
The crash occurred around 00:15 local time for reasons still under investigation. The 27-year-old rider of one motorcycle died at the scene, while his 26-year-old passenger later succumbed to injuries in hospital. The 33-year-old rider of the second motorcycle was hospitalised with serious injuries. One of the motorcycles struck a car after the initial collision; the driver was unharmed.
Police have opened an investigation into a suspected illegal street race, with witnesses reporting high speeds and overtaking manoeuvres on the right. The road was temporarily closed and has since reopened.