Accident drama in Tyrol

Fatal crash from bridge into the Inn: identity clarified

The completely demolished vehicle was pulled out of the Inn.(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

Following the unbelievable accident tragedy on Saturday afternoon in Hall in Tyrol, in which a car was catapulted over a bridge around 20 meters into the River Inn below, the police have now provided information on the identity of the driver who was killed in the accident for the first time.

"The driver involved in the accident is most likely a 65-year-old Austrian citizen from Vorarlberg. The final identification will take place next week," reported the Tyrolean police on Sunday afternoon.

Car with Bludenz license plate
The terrible accident occurred on Saturday afternoon, shortly before 3 pm. The car - according to "Krone" information with Bludenz license plates - had left the A12 Inntal freeway via the Hall-West exit and initially hit the concrete crash barrier on the bend. Due to the force of the impact, the vehicle literally took off - it was flung through the air across the two lanes and consequently catapulted over the bridge into the Inn.

The result was a major incident.(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

Eyewitnesses made an emergency call
The car was swept under the bridge and ultimately got stuck about five meters from the southern bank. Eyewitnesses immediately made an emergency call.

All help came too late for the driver
A large-scale operation involving several fire departments, water rescue, the Red Cross and an emergency helicopter was the result. "With our support, the fire department pulled the car to the shore, cut the driver out of the wreck, rescued him and handed him over to the rescue service," explains Konrad Kirchebner from Innsbruck Water Rescue. The rescue team tried to resuscitate the man - unfortunately in vain. 

As it was initially unclear whether there were any other occupants in the car, the Inn was searched by water rescuers. Bridge posts were also set up in the direction of Unterland. The search was unsuccessful.

Highway closed after accident
The extensive recovery work necessitated a closure of the A12 in the direction of Arlberg in the area of the accident. The ÖAMTC reported that within a short period of time, the columns stretched back for kilometers. The exact cause of the accident is still under investigation.