Witness heard a "bang"

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

Deep sorrow and consternation following the tragic accident in the Waldviertel region (Lower Austria): Only the two-year-old daughter survived; the parents died at the scene of the accident.(Bild: Krone-Collage/Imre Antal)

A horrific accident shook the Waldviertel region (Lower Austria) on Saturday. 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 respected in the community.

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 Zwettl district 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 entirely unclear and is the subject of the investigation.

The wreckage of the vehicle in which the family of three was traveling.(Bild: Imre Antal)

(Bild: Imre Antal)

One thing is certain, however: 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 national, died at the scene of the accident. Only their two-year-old daughter (the child’s age was initially reported as five but later corrected, note) miraculously survived the horrific accident. The little girl is now left an orphan.

“Bang” and “honked once or twice”
An entire region has been in shock ever since. Numerous speculations about the circumstances of the accident are circulating among the population. An eyewitness who wishes to remain anonymous told the “Krone” about a loud bang and that the train driver is said to have honked at least once or twice.

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

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

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.”

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 touching moments: Little Mina (name changed by the editors) was always allowed to peek into the barn. “The little girl 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.”

Father had previously suffered a serious accident
A sad detail: The father had suffered a serious accident just this spring. During a flash fire while lighting a wood stove, he sustained severe injuries to his face, hands, and arms. His recovery had apparently gone well; the wounds were barely visible by the end.

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)

Recovery took hours
The operation must have been an enormous strain on the emergency responders as well. “Our deepest sympathies go out to the relatives and everyone affected by this tragic accident,” the emergency services 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 the car could be freed.

Grandmother takes in girl
Only little 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 helicopter. Subsequently, both parents were recovered from the vehicle and later handed 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 site 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.