In June of 1998, one of Germany's Inter-City Express (ICE) trains slammed into an overpass, killing 101 people. The failure was traced back to a damaged wheel that disintegrated just before the train passed over a switch-track, causing cars to derail and impact the bridge's sup-ports. Further investigation uncovered evidence of misuse of heritage wheel design, insufficient design verification testing, poor bridge construction and ineffective emergency procedures. As a result of this accident, major engineering changes and safety improvements were implemented on all ICE trains.