62-year-old dies in head-on collision with articulated lorry on the B73 in Southeast Styria

Course of the accident

The articulated lorry tipped onto its left side after the collision and slid into the roadside ditch with the tractor unit leading the way. First aid was provided by the Austrian Red Cross and the crew of the rescue helicopter, who arrived at the scene of the accident.

For the 62-year-old, help came too late. She succumbed to her serious injuries at the scene of the accident. The 28-year-old driver of the articulated lorry from the district of Leibnitz sustained only minor injuries, according to the emergency services, and was taken to LKH Feldbach as a precaution with shock.

Consequences for traffic

The B73 was closed to all traffic for around four hours following the accident. The articulated lorry was recovered using a special crane.

Investigations by the public prosecutor's office

The exact circumstances that led the 62-year-old to drive onto the opposite carriageway have not yet been clarified. The Graz public prosecutor's office has ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death and the sequence of events of the accident.

Emergency services from the Red Cross, the Ziprein volunteer fire brigade, and the rescue helicopter were on scene with several vehicles. The accident triggered a major deployment of rescue services.

How the 62-year-old came to drift onto the opposite carriageway is part of the ongoing investigation. There are no indications at present of any fault on the part of other road users.

The incident is one of the most serious traffic accidents in the Southeast Styria region this year. The authorities announced a thorough investigation into the sequence of events.

The affected stretch of road between Ziprein and Seibuttendorf is a busy regional route. The accident has reignited the safety debate regarding rural roads with two-way traffic in the district of Southeast Styria.

Local residents and first responders expressed shock at the scale of the collision. The clean-up operations dragged on into the evening hours.

After the recovery work was completed, the B73 was reopened to traffic in the late afternoon. Police are continuing their investigations at the scene and are asking any potential witnesses to come forward.