Four dead in weekend bus accidents

The first of the three accidents happened on Saturday shortly before 8 a.m. on the B164 at Leogang (district of Zell am See). A 25-year-old driver from Hungary lost control of his vehicle on a snow-covered road. The car got into the oncoming lane and crashed head-on into an oncoming post bus shortly before 8 a.m. The 51-year-old bus driver tried in vain to dodge. His vehicle came to a standstill on the steep road shoulder and threatened to crash.

Firefighters had to cut the car’s occupants out of the wreckage. Two Hungarians (29 and 36 years old) who were driving in the 25-year-old’s car died at the scene of the accident. The driver was taken to the hospital, but succumbed to his injuries there. The bus driver, who was traveling without guests, was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. An alcohol test for the 51-year-old was negative.

Groom died in polter round

It came late Saturday evening in Schladming to a tragic accident. A bus from the Passau area fell over a steep embankment in Schladming. The occupants were a group of men from the Passau area who were going on a tobogganing trip in Schladming. It is said to have been a polter round. The 31-year-old who died was the groom, according to media reports.

In a tight bend in the road, the vehicle left the road, rolled over several times and ended up on its side on the roof of a shed built on the slope on a company site. Behind the accident vehicle drove a bus with firefighters who immediately provided first aid and secured the accident site.

The accident vehicle had to be secured before firefighters could free three people who had been trapped in the wreckage. The 31-year-old German died in the accident despite the quick help. Several other passengers and the 51-year-old bus driver were taken to nearby hospitals with serious injuries. The driver has not yet been questioned. The accident vehicle had to be recovered with a crane in the early hours of the morning. The public prosecutor has commissioned an expert opinion. A total of 160 helpers from the fire brigade, ambulance, police and other emergency organizations were deployed.

Also on Saturday evening, around 7.30 p.m., was on the B15 Achau (Mödling district) a serious accident happened. Immediately before a roundabout, the car of a 34-year-old Viennese skidded and collided with a fully occupied minibus on the oncoming lane. Both the 34-year-old and his 14-year-old son as well as the nine occupants of the bus – the 38-year-old driver, three women aged 41, 22 and 19 years and five children between seven and twelve years – were injured.

They were taken to hospitals in Wiener Neustadt and Baden. The driver was cut out of the car and an ambulance attended to the injured. Two rescue helicopters were requested, but were able to take off again without passengers.