Traffic - 16 people slightly injured in coach accident
A tour bus crashed on Autobahn 24 south of Schwerin during the night on Friday, resulting in 16 people being lightly injured. Six of the injured were taken to a hospital in Schwerin, while the rest were treated at the scene, a police spokesperson said in the morning. The Polish bus, carrying nearly 60 passengers, came off the road in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, near the village of Blievenstorf, and veered left from the highway - "presumably due to inattention," the police spokesperson added. The highway towards Hamburg was closed for hours.
According to the police, the bus collided with the median barrier and a traffic sign. Images from the accident scene show that all the windows on the left side of the bus were damaged in the impact. The police initially reported that people had been injured by shattered glass. Among the injured were the bus driver and a teenager. Fire departments and ambulances rushed to the scene.
Two replacement buses transported the remaining passengers to a garage. The responsible travel company intended to continue their journey from there. Simultaneously, cleanup efforts were underway. Late in the morning, the police reopened the left lane for traffic. It was unclear when the recovery of the damaged bus would be completed.
Multiple Accidents in Spring
There had been several serious bus accidents in the spring. In March, a tour bus with 54 passengers on board veered off the A9 near Leipzig, on its way from Berlin to Zurich, and overturned to the side. Four women died in the accident.
Shortly thereafter, a tour bus with around 60 passengers on the A44 near Werl in North Rhine-Westphalia left the road and overturned to the side. Twenty people were injured. Students from a vocational college in Warburg were on the bus. In April, a tour bus overturned on the A45 in the Sauerland, and four teenagers were seriously injured. According to statistics, buses are relatively rarely involved in traffic accidents causing personal injury.
Further police statement
The accident in Gdansk, Poland, which left several passengers injured, was reminiscent of the recent incidents in Germany. Just a few weeks ago, another tour bus crashed in Blievenstorf, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, not far from where the Hamburg-bound Polish bus had an accident. The German police urged bus drivers to remain vigilant and focused on the road, especially during long journeys.
Although the Spring season has seen multiple bus accidents, the overall numbers remain low compared to the annual average. The German authorities will conduct thorough investigations into these incidents to improve road safety measures and bus driver training programs. In the aftermath, travel agencies are working closely with their customers to ensure safe and comfortable travel experiences.
