Rock fell onto the road

Shocked couple: “Had a guardian angel with them”

A ten-ton boulder fell onto the road. A man from Tennengau was unable to avoid it in his car.(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

A ten-ton rock fell onto the B162 in Salzburg and narrowly missed a couple. How can the accident site be better secured?

They are slowly recovering from their injuries in Schwarzach hospital. Two days later, two men from Tennengau (47, 49) can still hardly believe what happened to them on Sunday evening in Abtenau. A boulder weighing almost ten tons smashed through a rockfall protection system and crashed onto the Lammertal road (B162). The couple were unable to swerve out of the way in their car, which crashed into the rock - as reported by the "Krone" newspaper.

Both were able to get out of the badly damaged vehicle themselves. "They are doing well under the circumstances," says Lars Atorf from Schwarzach Hospital. And: "They said that they had a guardian angel with them." It's hard to imagine what would have happened if the boulder had come loose just a few seconds later above the road on the Voglauberg. The car had an animal trailer attached at the time of the accident. As reported, it was carrying a cow. The seriously injured animal had to be slaughtered.

The stone came to rest on the side of the road and has since been removed. State geologist Ludwig Fegerl has already been to the scene of the accident twice. He is certain: "There is currently no longer any acute danger." The B162 is currently passable without restrictions. However, the expert does not want to rule out a future rockfall. Additional protective measures are therefore being considered in consultation with the landowner. Fegerl: "There are several options that are still being examined."