“Everyone is exhausted,” says Markus Gruber, chairman of the affected UTC Pfaffing-Vöcklamarkt in Upper Austria, who clearly heard Thursday night’s hardship in the “Krone” conversation. Because only a few minutes and centimeters decided the life and death of several tennis players at 9.30 pm.
“I got the call to come straight to the tennis court because a tractor was pulling into our clubhouse. I thought it was a small scratch in the wall, but nothing like that,” says Gruber.
But what happened? At 9:15 p.m., a farmer (54) parked a tractor and trailer not approved for traffic about 300 yards away in front of his barn and entered the residence. 15 minutes later, the vehicle is said to have rendered itself independent and rolled down a slope despite the handbrake being applied and the gear engaged. The tractor crashed into the clubhouse of the local tennis club, completely breaching the men’s room.
Sat on the terrace
“Five to ten minutes before, a coach was showering there. If the accident had happened a little earlier, he probably wouldn’t have stood a chance and he would now be dead,” the chairman describes dramatically. And six other club members also had a lot luck. The athletes ended the evening on the terrace of the residence. Only a wall separated them from the “ghost tractor”.
“Like a Bombing”
Parts of the wall and large stones fell on the terrace. “It must have felt like a bombing when a five-ton vehicle suddenly hit the building behind you,” Gruber is pleased that everyone involved survived the accident unscathed. On Friday, he and many helpers already looked ahead, because championship matches were scheduled for the afternoon: “Fortunately, we have a room next to it, in which we are temporarily setting up a new clubhouse.”
45th anniversary party probably cancelled
And that probably for a long time, because the old one is about to collapse and probably has to be demolished. The building was 44 years old and a 45th anniversary celebration was scheduled for August. It will probably have to be canceled now, because no one at the tennis club is in the mood to party at the moment.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
