Region in Shock

Devastating train-car collision claims two lives

This freight train struck the car carrying the family of three.(Bild: zVg)

A terrible tragedy in the Waldviertel region of Lower Austria not only shattered the happiness of a young family but also shook an entire region. On Saturday afternoon, a freight train struck a car at a location already notorious for accidents—this time, two people (ages 34 and 39) were killed; only the couple’s young daughter survived.

Was it a blinding ray of sunlight or a fatal lapse in concentration? The cause of the accident near Allentsteig in the northern Waldviertel remains unclear for now. The only thing that is certain is that the 34-year-old driver, a native of Turkey, attempted to cross the Franz-Josefs-Bahn railroad crossing—which was secured by a flashing light—near the old Thaua train stop around 4:00 p.m.

Just at that moment, a freight train was approaching. The consequences were devastating. The train, weighing several metric tons, struck the car, in which the two-year-old daughter was sitting in the back seat alongside her father (39) and mother (the child’s age was initially reported as five but was later corrected, note). 

Rescue Efforts Took Hours
It took several hours to rescue the parents. The car had to be separated from the train using winches. Only the two-year-old was rescued alive and flown to a nearby hospital by emergency medical helicopter. The train engineer was uninjured but suffered severe shock and had to be treated by a crisis intervention team.

This freight train struck the car carrying the family of three.(Bild: zVg)

In the Lower Austrian garrison town, the tragedy has left residents in a state of shock, dismay, and grief. The family, who had moved there a few years ago, was extremely well-liked. What remains is the shock and such a young orphan...

Railwayclosure lifted after three hours
The track closure between Göpfritz an der Wild and Allentsteig was lifted shortly after 7 p.m.

The fire departments of Allentsteig, Göpfritz, Schwarzenau, and Thaua were on the scene with more than 50 personnel. The Red Cross had dispatched volunteers from Allentsteig and Waidhofen an der Thaya, as well as the district operations manager. The “Christophorus” helicopter was also on the scene to transport the toddler. The police were on site with three patrol cars.

Accidents have occurred there several times
The railroad crossing in question on the L75 near Allentsteig has been the scene of fatal collisions on several occasions. In 2015, a 49-year-old train engineer lost his life there when his train collided with a semi-truck.

In 2019, a then 54-year-old man from the Waidhofen an der Thaya district had a lucky escape. He, too, drove his car across the railroad crossing. However, he was incredibly lucky, as only the front of the car was struck. The driver was uninjured and was able to free himself from the car. He had driven onto the tracks despite the signal showing a red light.