With emergency doctor to hospital

ÖVP politician had a serious accident with a tractor

The crane on the timber transporter was not fully retracted, which is why the combination got stuck under the A8. The fire department, police and rescue services were deployed.(Bild: FF Meggenhofen)

It could have ended very badly: Max Hiegelsberger from the ÖVP (Austrian People's Party), President of the Upper Austrian Parliament, had an accident with his tractor while transporting a load of wood. He was rushed to hospital by an emergency doctor and his cervical vertebrae were damaged.

He is a passionate farmer - and a no less enthusiastic ÖVP politician who holds one of the highest offices in Upper Austria. The former agricultural councillor and current First Provincial Parliament President Max Hiegelsberger is lucky to have survived this serious accident in the end: "Three and a half weeks ago, I was on the road with a load of wood and didn't retract the crane on the back of the trailer," says the politician from Meggenhofen in an interview with the "OÖ-Krone" newspaper.

Farmer and top politician Max Hiegelsberger had an accident.(Bild: Dostal Harald)

Got stuck in the underpass
Then everything happened very quickly. The crane got stuck in an underpass on the A8, the Innkreis highway, in the Breitwies district of Hiegelsberger's home municipality. As a result, the entire combination was pulled backwards - and Hiegelsberger was seriously injured. The emergency doctor, ambulance and police were quickly on the scene after the accident in mid-March, and the former mayor of Meggenhofen was taken to the hospital in Wels.

The crane on the timber transporter was not fully retracted, which is why the combination got stuck under the A8. The fire department, police and ambulance were deployed.(Bild: FF Meggenhofen)

"I suffered spinal splinters, but thankfully my spinal cord was not affected. The doctors examined everything at the hospital," says the 58-year-old. When the accident happened, Max Hiegelsberger was traveling alone. In shock, he called his wife, who then alerted the emergency services and set the rescue chain in motion.

The emergency services came to the rescue.(Bild: FF Meggenhofen)

Already back home
The First President of the State Parliament was hospitalized for several days before being discharged home. In a telephone conversation with the "Krone" newspaper, the ÖVP politician assured that he was able to carry out his official duties again, albeit with some restrictions. Hiegelsberger was given a neck brace to stabilize his spine.

He will be able to chair the session of the state parliament next Thursday, but the consequences of the serious accident will be visible through the neck brace. The combination, i.e. the tractor and the timber transport trailer, sustained serious material damage. The A8 highway bridge, into which the crane had become wedged, was also slightly damaged.