A 90-year-old woman died when a truck and a car collided near Griffen (towards Italy) and subsequently caught fire. Despite all efforts, the woman might not be saved. Her son-in-law was driving the car.
Tire bursts as a trigger
According to the police, the current investigation shows that the left front tire of the truck burst, causing the vehicle to move into the second lane and collide with a car that was overtaking. The car was trapped between the truck and the concrete barrier and dragged along until both vehicles came to a stop. Both vehicles caught fire. The truck driver, a 27-year-old Bosnian professional driver, was uninjured.
Driver freed his wife
The car driver from the Styrian district of Voitsberg was able to free his wife despite serious injuries. Despite immediate attempts to extinguish the fire by the truck driver and other first responders, any help came too late for the 65-year-old’s mother-in-law, who was riding in the back seat of the car. After receiving emergency medical treatment, the car driver was taken to the Graz University Hospital by the C11 rescue helicopter. His 60-year-old wife suffered injuries of an unspecified degree and was taken to the Klagenfurt Hospital.
Hour-long suspension
The fire was extinguished by the fire departments of Griffen, Völkermarkt and St. Andrä with a total of 50 men. The public prosecutor’s office in Klagenfurt appointed a motor vehicle expert and ordered the vehicles to be secured in order to clarify the cause of the accident.
The A2 was closed to all traffic in both directions until 5:30 p.m. On the B70 diversion route, heavy traffic led to extensive traffic jams and waiting times of several hours.
This article was last updated at 10:05 p.m.
