Parents Dead, Child Alive

First details emerge after train tragedy involving young family in Lower Austria

Rescue operations by the fire department following the accident—the operation must have been an enormous strain on the responders as well.(Bild: FF Allentsteig)

A horrific accident has shaken the Waldviertel region. A freight train crashed head-on into the car of a family of three, killing a young couple. Only their two-year-old daughter survived and is now left an orphan. Now, the first heartbreaking details are emerging about the family, who were well-liked and beloved—and speculation is mounting.

How could this tragedy have happened? This question has been on the minds of emergency responders and investigators since Saturday. Around 4 p.m., a devastating collision occurred in Allentsteig in the district of Zwettl (Lower Austria), near the old Thaua train stop, between a car and a freight train at a Franz-Josefs-Bahn railroad crossing secured by flashing lights.

Whether a momentary lapse in attention, limited visibility, or a driving error by the 34-year-old mother behind the wheel triggered the fatal crash remains completely unclear at this time and is the subject of the investigation.

Computer scientist could no longer drive after a workplace accident
According to city officials, the family had been overjoyed that the mother’s driver’s license would allow her to become more independent. This was because, after the computer scientist suffered a serious workplace accident in the spring—in which a flash fire severely burned his face and arms—he was unable to drive for some time. However, his recovery apparently went well; the wounds were barely visible by the time of the accident.

“Right in the Middle of the Tracks”
Nevertheless, the rumor mill is churning, and speculations are being voiced. It’s said that the car was standing right in the middle of the tracks. So did the new driver stall the car? Did it refuse to start?

“Bang” and “honked once or twice”
An eyewitness, who wishes to remain anonymous, also told the “Krone” about a loud bang and that the train engineer is said to have honked the horn at least once or twice.

Deep grief and shock in the Waldviertel region: Only the couple’s two-year-old daughter survived; the parents died at the scene of the accident.(Bild: Krone-Collage/Imre Antal)

One thing is certain: the young couple, who had moved to the tranquil garrison town just two years ago, did not survive the force of the impact. The 34-year-old mother, a native of Turkey, and the 39-year-old father, a Serbian citizen, died at the scene of the accident. Only their two-year-old daughter (initial reports stated the child was five years old, but this was later corrected—Ed.) miraculously survived the accident. The little girl is now left an orphan.

Mayor Georg Marksteiner expressed shock over the tragic accident. The family was well-known in the town and was considered well-liked.(Bild: Imre Antal)

In the Lower Austrian garrison town, the tragedy has been met with consternation, shock, and grief; a black flag has been raised.(Bild: Imre Antal)

Just Hours Before the Tragedy at the Mayor’s Farm
An entire region has been in shock ever since. Mayor Georg Marksteiner is deeply affected: “They were regular customers at our organic farm and stopped by several times a week. They were very nice, even though we hadn’t known them for very long. Those who knew them all describe them as exceptionally friendly.” The family had been shopping at the mayor’s farm just a few hours before the accident. 

They were very nice, even though we hadn’t known them for very long. Those who knew them all describe them as exceptionally friendly.

Bürgermeister Georg Marksteiner

Bild: Imre Antal

“She was always allowed to look into the barn”
Marksteiner also describes some touching moments: Little Mina (name changed by the editors) was always allowed to peek into the barn. “She especially enjoyed watching the cows.” A neighbor also recalls: “They were always nice and friendly. She often went for walks with the stroller. We weren’t close, but they were very likable.”

This freight train (pictured left) struck the car carrying the family of three. The recovery of the vehicle took hours.(Bild: Krone-Collage/zVg, FF Allentsteig)

The recovery took hours
The operation must also have been an enormous strain on the emergency responders. “Our deepest sympathies go out to the family members and everyone affected by this tragic accident,” the emergency responders stated in a Facebook post. After the collision, the vehicle was partially wedged under the train, and the recovery took hours. It was only with the help of two winches that they were able to free the car.

Grandmother Takes Girl In
Only Mina, who is to be taken in by her grandmother in Braunau after her hospital stay, could be quickly rescued from the wreckage in the back seat and was flown to the hospital by emergency medical helicopter. The parents were subsequently recovered from the vehicle and later turned over to the funeral home.

Dangerous railroad crossing sparks debate
The accident has also reignited the debate over the controversial railroad crossing. The intersection on the L75 near Allentsteig has already been the scene of several serious collisions. In 2015, a 49-year-old train engineer was killed when his train collided with a semi-truck. In 2019, a 54-year-old driver from the Waidhofen an der Thaya district had a lucky escape: his car was struck only in the front, and he survived the collision.