Wife sounded the alarm

Out of desperation? The background to the fatal drive

The police were already searching for the 61-year-old driver before the horror collision.(Bild: BFK WT/St. Mayer)

A tragedy involving two road fatalities occurred on Epiphany in the Waldviertel (Lower Austria). But the real drama began earlier: The wife of one of the two drivers involved in the accident alerted the police shortly beforehand, who also arrived immediately. 

"Two cars colliding head-on on a busy main road at 8.20 a.m. on a public holiday? It's hard to believe," was the repeated message from the Waldviertel.

Head-on collision claimed two lives
And yet: a head-on collision that literally tore two cars apart and claimed two lives occurred on Monday morning at around 8.20 a.m. between Groß Rupprechts and Kurzschwarza in the municipality of Vitis. A 61-year-old man from the district of Zwettl and a 44-year-old man from the district of Gmünd lost their lives after, according to the police, the 61-year-old may have driven his car into oncoming traffic.

"Due to the force of the impact, both vehicles were thrown off the road and came to a standstill in the ditch. Both the 61-year-old and the 44-year-old succumbed to their injuries at the scene of the accident. According to the current state of the investigation, the 61-year-old may have acted with suicidal intent", according to the Lower Austria Provincial Police Directorate.

Bad omens ...
However, the tragedy was already on the horizon before the catastrophic accident. The wife alerted the police shortly before the collision: Her husband had expressed suicidal intentions and had driven off in the car. The police immediately launched a manhunt for the 61-year-old. A short time later, the horror crash was reported and it was confirmed that it was the man they were looking for.

The police are still investigating whether it was actually intentional. In his home region, a post on social media by the sick man had already caused a stir a few days earlier: In it, he asked his friends to pray for him, saying that he was in hospital and feeling miserable.

If you or someone close to you is in an exceptional psychological situation or is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact the telephone helpline on 142. You can find other crisis hotlines and emergency numbers HERE.