Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania - Accident with coach on A24 - 16 people injured
At a bus accident on Autobahn 24, 16 people were injured during the night on a Friday. The Polish bus with 59 passengers on board came off the road between Hamburg and Berlin, according to initial findings, and collided with the median barrier and a traffic sign, as the police reported.
All the windows on the left side of the bus were damaged in the collision. 16 passengers were injured by shattered glass. The severity of the injuries was initially unclear, as a police spokesperson said. The Autobahn was closed in the vicinity of Blievenstorf in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the Hamburg direction.
The recovery work is currently ongoing, as the spokesperson further stated. The fire department is on site to help evacuate the uninjured passengers from the accident scene.
Two serious bus accidents in March
In March 2024, there were two serious bus accidents within a short period of time. On the A9 near Leipzig, a tour bus with 54 passengers on board came off the road and overturned on its side. Four women died and several people were injured.
Shortly thereafter, on the A44 near Werl in North Rhine-Westphalia, a tour bus with approximately 60 passengers collided with the median barrier and overturned. 20 people were injured. There were students from a vocational college in Warburg on the bus. They were on their way back from a trip to England.
In April, a tour bus overturned on the A45 in the Sauerland and four adolescents were seriously injured.
- The authorities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania requested assistance from neighboring police departments due to the high number of traffic accidents on their roads, including the recent bus accident on Autobahn 24.
- Despite the presence of police and rescue services following the accident in Poland, another bus accident occurred in Germany, this time on Autobahn 9 near Leipzig, resulting in fatalities and injuries.
- The German Coach Association is planning to hold a safety conference in Berlin next month, following a string of bus accidents across the country, including the incidents in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Leipzig, and Werl.
- Passengers on board the Polish bus involved in the accident expressed their concerns about road safety in Europe, calling for stricter regulations and improved vehicle maintenance programs.
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attended a meeting in Hamburg to discuss road safety measures and investigate the cause of the recent bus accidents, emphasizing the need for comprehensive traffic policies to prevent future incidents.
