German prince killed in high-speed motorcycle crash

Prince Otto of Hesse was driving his Ducati when he crashed into the guard rail on an autobahn.

On Sunday, a member of the German royal family met a tragic accident. Prince Otto of Hesse was riding his Ducati motorcycle alone on a Bavarian autobahn when he crashed. Police suspect that he lost control of the vehicle at high speed leading to the accident. The entrepreneur passed away leaving behind a chain of McDonald's restaurants.

The 55-year-old distant relative of the British royal family treasured his Ducati Multistrada Endure. He had posted pictures of the vehicle on April 12 on his social media pages. He was reportedly driving on the A96 Memmingen-Lindau towards Switzerland when the accident occurred.

At around 8:15 am local time, the motorist lost control of his vehicle at high speed. The motorcycle rammed against the guard rail, flinging Prince Otto off the vehicle. Medics and police responded to the crash. The prince received medical attention right at the location of the accident. However, before he could be taken to a hospital, he was declared dead at the scene.

Regional publication TZ, revealed that the exact cause of the accident is yet to be determined. The publication reported that Otto had overtaken a car at very high speed before he lost control. The crash is still being investigated, and experts will try to determine what led to the death of the prince. However, speeding could be the reason for the crash, the publication speculated.

The speed-loving prince had served a nine-month driving ban in 2010 for speeding in Munich. The speeding incident involving a car led to points being taken from his license as well as the ban.

Otto owned four McDonald's restaurants in Ingolstadt. The franchise owner's death was mourned by his employees as well as his family. He left behind four children- Max, Leopold, Moritz and Elena. The deceased prince is from the house of Hesse-Philippsthal, a dynasty which dates back to the 17th century. The family is related to Frederick William III of Prussia. According to genealogists, Otto was also a part of Britain's royal line of succession.