Tragedy in Judenburg

After fatal accident: classmates mourn Ronja

Friends remember the 16-year-old at the scene of the accident in Judenburg.(Bild: Juergen Fuchs)

The whole of Judenburg is in shock after the tragic accidental death of a 16-year-old girl. Her friend is still in hospital with life-threatening injuries. The cause of the accident has not yet been clarified. 

A simple wooden cross with the inscription "Ronja" as well as numerous candles and flowers next to a road between Judenburg and Fohnsdorf bear witness to the terrible accident tragedy that took place here on Wednesday afternoon: An 83-year-old driver drove into oncoming traffic and hit an oncoming car. The pensioner's car skidded and collided with a moped following behind, which was being driven by a 16-year-old girl with her 14-year-old friend on the pillion.

"The whole town mourns"
The 16-year-old girl died at the scene of the accident after the crash, her passenger was flown to Graz Regional Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver of the car was taken to Judenburg Regional Hospital with injuries of indeterminate severity.

"It is horrible. The whole town mourns with the affected family," says the mayor of Judenburg, Elke Florian. "There are really no words for it, we can only express our sincere condolences to the relatives. And of course we hope that the seriously injured passenger recovers soon."

Both girls were pupils at the Judenburg Polytechnic School, and several psychologists were looking after their deeply shocked classmates. The Judenburg Youth Center expressed its sadness in a Facebook post: "We will miss her laughter, her energy and her warmth very much."

The exact circumstances of the accident have not yet been clarified: according to the police, the 83-year-old has not yet been interviewed.