The 47-year-old Austrian driver was killed at the scene of the accident, a police spokesman said. The heavy vehicle had broken through the guardrail and had come to rest on its side in the water with the driver’s cab.
Following road users set the rescue chain in motion. The truck driver was rescued from the vehicle by divers from the Innsbruck fire brigade. For him, any help came too late.
The exact circumstances of the accident were unclear at first and were the subject of investigations. An autopsy was ordered. The 47-year-old had lost control of the truck, it was said. No other vehicles were involved.
Major operation and roadblock
The accident, which occurred shortly following 1:00 p.m. one kilometer before the Wattens exit, triggered a major operation involving several fire departments, rescue services, police and water rescue teams. An emergency medical helicopter was also on site. The motorway was closed in the direction of Innsbruck for around an hour and then only one lane was open for around 20 minutes.