There was hardly any repair work to be done, only the water protection system needed special cleaning, an Asfinag spokesperson told APA. The pile-up involved 33 vehicles. The cause was diesel that had leaked extensively from a burst truck tank. According to the police, 28 people were slightly injured, and an 18-year-old was seriously injured.

After Mass Pile-Up: A2 Near Graz Passable Again

A truck driver (43) from the Graz-Umgebung district had driven his articulated lorry on the A2 towards Vienna around 5:30 PM. At the Laßnitzhöhe motorway exit, one of the fuel tanks of the heavy vehicle burst for reasons still unknown. The diesel fuel inside quickly spread due to the speed of the truck and flowed across several lanes of the motorway. This area is characterized by hanging curves. Several cars driving behind the truck skidded. Subsequently, there were collisions involving a total of 33 vehicles.

According to the Styrian State Police Directorate, 28 people were slightly injured and some were taken to nearby hospitals. An 18-year-old from the Südoststeiermark district suffered serious injuries and was flown to LKH Graz by the ÖAMTC rescue helicopter Christophorus 12. The motorway had to be closed for several hours. Due to the heavy traffic volume over the weekend, there was a traffic jam several kilometers long. At the request of the police, Asfinag called for the area to be widely bypassed. Traffic was diverted via the Pyhrn Motorway (A9) at the Graz West junction and routed via the Bruck Expressway (S35) and the Semmering Expressway (S6). By around 11:00 PM, the first lane at the accident site could be passed again.

Accident Vehicles Removed from Southern Motorway

The vehicles that were no longer drivable were removed from the motorway by various towing companies. In addition to the surrounding fire brigades, several rescue vehicles and the emergency medical helicopter were deployed. The 72 firefighters from six brigades secured the accident site, absorbed the leaked diesel, and cleaned the three lanes together with Asfinag employees.

(APA/Red)

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