Driver's life in danger

Military vehicle collides with a road roller

The Pinzgauer filled with water in the ditch while the driver was trapped.(Bild: Doku NÖ)

Serious traffic accident near Germanns at the Allentsteig military training area in Lower Austria: the driver of a Pinzgau collided with a road roller after overtaking another road roller. Why the trapped driver's life was in danger and what weaknesses the off-road vehicle, which is otherwise very popular with the army, has.

According to initial reports, the 31-year-old soldier from the Army Troop School in Eisenstadt probably escaped with a good scare, including concussion. He was driving near Germanns on Tuesday morning, March 19, when he overtook a road roller and had to quickly get back into the right-hand lane because of another road roller. 

The Pinzgauer's weaknesses
Experienced soldiers say that the otherwise very reliable, off-road capable Pinzgauer, which is very popular with the troops, has the same problems as the Mercedes A-Class. This is because the military vehicle's center of gravity is very high, which makes it an absolute fail candidate in the moose test. 

The rescue chain worked really well. I'm glad that the driver appears to have suffered only minor injuries and is doing well under the circumstances.

TÜPl-Kommandant Herbert Gaugusch zur „Krone“

Massive collision
After quickly getting back into line, the Pinzgauer skidded. The police constable crashed into the road roller. The powerful collision catapulted the heavy troop vehicle off the gravel road and into a pond next to the road. The drivers of the road roller acted with presence of mind. They immediately ran to the Pinzgauer, which was stuck with its roof in the ditch, and called an ambulance.

Lifesaver for the trapped driver
Their reaction was spot on, as the soldier was stuck in the vehicle and the vehicle was full of water. A road construction worker freed the 31-year-old from the vehicle. The injured man was first treated by the emergency doctor and then taken to Horn Regional Hospital by rescue helicopter. Military training area commander Herbert Gaugusch was happy to hear from "Krone" that the soldier had apparently escaped with only minor injuries.