Tyrolean Fernpass road

Accident near Musau: cars crashed over embankment

Major operation for rescue services, fire department and police in the Tyrolean Außerfern on Sunday

(Bild: Feuerwehr Reutte, Krone KREATIV)

Spectacular traffic accident late Sunday afternoon in the Tyrolean Außerfern region: There was a head-on crash between two cars on the Fernpass road near Musau. The collision also caused a car and caravan to leave the road and another vehicle was damaged by wreckage being flung away. Three people were injured. The major incident caused the road to be closed for hours.

According to the police, the accident happened at around 4.45 pm. A German man (51) was driving his car on the B179 towards Füssen, while an 85-year-old local woman was driving in the opposite direction.

Collision during an overtaking maneuver
"According to the current state of the investigation and the information provided by witnesses, both drivers may have started to overtake, which resulted in a head-on collision between the vehicles," reported the police.

The 85-year-old woman was trapped in the vehicle and had to be freed by the fire department.

Die Polizei

The German's car was thrown into the ditch by the force of the impact. The local woman's car came to a standstill on the embankment. "The 85-year-old woman was trapped in the vehicle and had to be freed by the fire department," said the investigators. 

But that was not all: a car with a caravan was also hit in the collision and pushed into the ditch. Another car was damaged by parts of the vehicle being flung away. 

The 85-year-old suffered serious injuries. She was flown by rescue helicopter to the hospital in Kempten. The German driver was injured and taken to Füssen Hospital, while a passenger in the caravan was taken to Reutte Hospital. 

B179 closed for hours
The Fernpass road had to be completely closed for hours in the accident area between Reutte/Nord and Vils. The police were only able to lift the closure shortly before 8pm. Two rescue helicopters, the ambulance service, the Reutte, Vils and Musau fire departments and the police were deployed.