Caution with bridges

When water becomes dangerous in road accidents

In this case, the two occupants were lucky: although they were not actually trapped, they only managed to get out with the help of emergency services.(Bild: FF Ernstbrunn)

Drivers find themselves in particularly awkward situations when watercourses are involved. This happened near Ernstbrunn, where a car did not land on its roof in a stream after a head-on collision, and in the district of Krems, where a vehicle skidded and was only stopped by a bridge railing - just before it crashed. 

The force of a collision near Thomasl in the district of Korneuburg threw two cars off the road on Saturday: One vehicle first came to rest in the nearby stream bed. And although the two injured occupants came to rest in a stream bed with shallow water, they had to be rescued by the emergency services: The mixture of shock and the inclined position, as well as the rapid arrival of the fire department, prevented anything worse from happening if they had tried to get out.

Floriani saved car from falling off bridge
The day before, a car driver on the B37 near Sperkental in the district of Krems-Land had a stroke of luck: she drove her vehicle onto the grass verge and hit a guard rail. She was catapulted into the air and landed against the direction of travel on a bridge railing. The vehicle was in danger of crashing.

However, the woman, who was helplessly trapped in the car, was very lucky: a firefighter who happened to be following immediately reacted and secured her vehicle with a lashing strap to prevent it from sliding into the wet element. His alarmed colleagues rescued the shocked driver from the car and, after first aid, she was transported to hospital with undetermined injuries.