Two men who died in a car crash on the A12 near Zevenaar in Gelderland may have been involved in an attempt to break open an ATM in Germany hours earlier, police has said on Twitter.

The car, which may have been used as a getaway vehicle after the attempt, hit a lorry and ended up in a ditch. Two men died and a third was seen to run off by police in a patrol car which happened to be passing. The man was wearing dark clothing and may have been hurt in the accident, police said.

Because of the possible link with a crime, police ask the public not to approach the man. The A12 is closed in the direction of Arnhem until further notice in connection with the police investigation.

In 2017, another attempt by thieves to break open a cash dispenser in Germany resulted in a car chase to Utrecht, which ended when the car crashed. And in 2016, two Dutch men were killed when their car left a German motorway after an attack on an ATM.