E-bike out of control

Pop star Michael Hartl has an accident in Tyrol

Marianne and Michael Hartl are always drawn to Austria - like here at a veal sausage party in Going in the Kitzbühel district.(Bild: APA/BARBARA GINDL)

German folk music star Michael Hartl (75) had a lucky escape during a bike ride in Tyrol! "The helmet saved me," he said with conviction.

The singer was on an e-bike with his wife Marianne (71) heading towards St. Johann. In the idyllic village near Kitzbühel, they wanted to meet friends at a farmers' market, reports Bild. However, things turned out differently ...

"The small asphalt road suddenly went very steeply downhill. Michael braked sharply, his e-bike went upright and he flew over the front", Marianne Hartl told the newspaper.

The singer landed on his face at full speed - a laceration on his chin and abrasions on his nose were the result. His elbows and fingers were also injured and he bruised his thoracic vertebrae.

I was extremely lucky. The helmet saved me.

Michael Hartl

"I was very lucky. The helmet saved me," Michael Hartl told Bild. "I tightened the helmet properly before I set off so that it fitted properly and didn't wobble."

Local residents closed off the road
After the accident, local residents blocked off the road. His wife called the emergency services, who took him to hospital. "The medical team was great. They stitched up the wound on his chin and did a CT scan of his head to rule out the possibility that Michael had injured his head. Thank God everything was fine. He doesn't even have a concussion. If he hadn't been wearing a helmet, the accident would certainly have had a different outcome."

Michael Hartl enjoys the Germany game in the Hackerbräu with his personal physician Dr. Georg-Eike Böhme.(Bild: Marianne Hartl/Facebook)

Only soups and porridge on the menu at the moment
However, the examinations are not yet complete - the jaw still needs to be monitored. "He also fell on his teeth with force. He's not allowed to bite at the moment, just eat soup and porridge." Marianne purees oatmeal for him for breakfast.

Michael is still in pain, especially in the chest area. "When I flew, my only thought was: I hope nothing happens to me. I really did have guardian angels again," Michael told Bild. In fact, the singer probably had plenty of them: In May 2022, he suffered a stroke that left him with no permanent damage.

However, Michael and Marianne don't want their summer vacation to be spoiled. If the doctors give them the thumbs up after the planned jaw examination, the couple want to recover in Croatia. And digest the big scare first.