Winter arrived throughout Austria on Friday. Except in Vienna and Lower Austria, it started snowing on Thursday. This led to numerous deployments, delays, disruptions to switches, blocked roads and an increased risk of slipping on the roads, especially in the east of the country.
Heavy snowfall caused numerous incidents on Friday: accidents, fallen branches on roads and switch failures across the entire route network put pressure on the traffic situation. The Arlberg Tunnel was opened early to ease the traffic situation.
There were also delays in early morning traffic and a replacement rail service between Dornbirn and Lochau-Hörbranz had to be set up.
Cars ended up in ditches
Drivers between Lustenau and Lauterach felt the increased risk of slipping. Nine vehicles ended up in the ditch here.
After the first driver left the road, eight other drivers drove off the very narrow road while police were filming the accident, the driver said. No one was injured, but some vehicles were significantly damaged.
Accidents on the Rhine Valley highway
Several accidents also occurred on the Rhine Valley Motorway (A14) under winter driving conditions. Around 7 p.m. and an hour later, two 38-year-olds skidded their car and crashed into the guardrails. The driver, who had previously had an accident, complained of mild chest pain and was taken to hospital. The second driver involved in the accident was drunk.
In the area after the Ambergtunnel near Feldkirch towards Tyrol, two cars collided when a 37-year-old tried to overtake a 43-year-old. The 37-year-old was slightly injured. He also turned out to be under the influence of alcohol and had to surrender his driver’s license on the spot. Late in the evening, around 10:50 p.m., another driver finally crashed into the outer barrier at Dornbirn.
Tree blocked road
The amount of snow also caused broken branches and fallen trees in many places, blocking roads, including in Gaißau. The fire brigade went out around 3:30 am to remove a tree from the road that was blocking the entire road.
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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.
