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In a video captured by broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk, an officer stopped two 'rubber neckers' caught trying to take pictures of the crash scene on an Autobahn near Nuremberg.

Stefan Pfeiffer asked the drivers where they were from, and then in response to their actions, asked if they wanted to take a closer look at the crash scene to illustrate a point.

“Come on, ill show you something,” he said, urging the drivers to get out of their cars.

“Do you want to see the dead people – make pictures?

“There he is, he's lying there, do you want to see him? No, you don't want to see him? Then why do you make pictures?”

When each of the men refused his offer to witness the gruesome scene, Pfeiffer said: “Shame on you” before hitting them with a €128.50 fine. 

The video of the incident posted on Twitter by the BR24 news network has gone viral, racking up over 65,000 views and more than 2000 re-tweets by Wednesday morning. Twitter users have hailed the officer as a hero for calling attention to the problem. 

Pfeiffer, told the BR24 that taking such drastic action would be more likely to actually prevent drivers from doing the same thing again than imposing a fine. 

“For us its definitely an opportunity to confront people on their behaviour,” he said. 

“Simply to demand €128.50 and send them on their way won’t really teach them a lesson. They need to understand what they are actually doing

“By shocking them, we want to make it clear that this is not a game but a bitter reality.”

Police officer Stefan Pfeiffer speaks with the media. Photo courtesy BR24

A danger to others

The fine for taking unauthorized pictures of a crash scene in Germany is €128.50.

Aside from the questionable morality of slowing down to try and take a peek at a motorway accident, gawkers also risk causing further accidents. 

Officer Pfeiffer took video evidence of the motorists slowing down and attempting to take pictures of the crash scene, sometimes taking their hands off the wheel to do so. 

A 47-year-old truck driver died after his vehicle collided with a semitrailer just before midday on Tuesday. The incident took place on the A6 autobahn near Nuremberg, in northern Bavaria.