Several accidents

Driver saves himself by jumping out of crashing car

A car plunged into a stream in Görtschitztal.

(Bild: FF Wieting)

Because he had overlooked a bend on a mountain road in Lavamünd, a Pole (21) crashed his van down a steep meadow. He just managed to save himself before the car crashed into a building with full force. In the Görtschitztal valley, a car driver crashed into a stream.

Scenes like in an action movie played out on the South Styrian border road (B 69) in Lavamünd in the Carinthian district of Wolfsberg at around three o'clock in the morning on Monday. A 21-year-old professional driver was driving downhill in his van when he suddenly overlooked a slight left-hand bend.

Braking was no longer possible
"The vehicle then raced down a steep meadow. As it was no longer possible to brake, the driver jumped out of the vehicle, which crashed into a farm building with full force after around 150 meters," said the police.

Not only were the van and the building severely damaged, but also the farm owner's vehicle parked there. However, the Polish driver was miraculously uninjured. The Lavamünd volunteer fire department was called out for the recovery operation.

Car skidded on a wet road
Hours later, at around 2 p.m., three other Carinthian fire departments - the Wieting, Klein St. Paul and Guttaring fire brigades - were deployed to the Görtschitztal valley. A 45-year-old Carinthian woman had left the rain-soaked road in her car and skidded 40 meters across a meadow. 

The fire department and towing company were called out to Görtschitztal.

(Bild: FF Wieting)

Car plunged into stream, driver rescued
The vehicle then crashed into a tree and plunged over a steep embankment into the Görtschitzbach stream. "The car came to rest in the water on the left-hand side," said the emergency services. "Oncoming road users rushed to the woman's aid and were able to rescue her from the vehicle in time."

The woman from Görtschitztal was taken to Friesach Hospital by the ambulance service. The car had to be recovered from the stream by the fire department and a towing company.