67-year-old motorcyclist crashes about 14 meters into the Bregenzer Ache on the Bregenzerwaldstraße and dies

As police further reported, the motorcyclist came to lie face-down in the river after the fall, with his head submerged underwater. Despite the rescue measures initiated immediately, his life could not be saved.

Seriously injured e-bike rider flown to hospital

Regarding the course of the accident: The 67-year-old Swiss man collided on the Bregenzerwaldstraße with a 73-year-old e-bike rider who, according to police, was just attempting to cross the roadway. After the impact, the motorcyclist veered off course, rode over the sidewalk, and crashed into the bridge railing.

The motorcycle's engine block became jammed in the bridge railing, as police noted: "Der Motorblock des Motorrads hatte sich im Brückengeländer verkeilt." The force of the impact threw the 67-year-old over the parapet, and he plunged into the depths below.

The 73-year-old e-bike rider suffered serious injuries in the collision. "Der schwer verletzte Radfahrer wurde mit dem Hubschrauber ins Landeskrankenhaus Feldkirch geflogen," police said.

L200 closed for over an hour and a half after the accident

Investigators did not specify the exact time of the accident in detail; however, the closure of the L200 suggests that the incident occurred in the late Tuesday afternoon. The cleanup work lasted more than an hour as a result.

The L200 was either fully closed or passable only in one lane in the accident area between 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. due to the recovery and cleanup operations. As a result, the important connecting road through the Bregenzerwald was only partially passable throughout the entire Tuesday afternoon commuter traffic.

The operation proved difficult for the fire department and rescue services because the victim had to be recovered from the river after the fall, while the accident site on the bridge also had to be secured. The operation lasted several hours.

Police have launched an investigation into the exact cause of the accident. At the center of the inquiry is the question of how the collision between the motorcycle and the e-bike crossing the roadway could have occurred, and under what circumstances the motorcyclist ended up on the sidewalk.

Investigations into the cause of the accident underway

The investigation will also examine what visibility conditions were like at the time of the accident and whether the speed of the motorcycle played a role. No results were initially released.

The incident has caused dismay in the Bregenzerwald region. The Bregenzerwaldstraße (L200) is one of the main routes through the rear Bregenzerwald and is heavily used by motorcyclists in summer.

Residents and passersby observed the accident, according to police, and immediately set the rescue chain in motion. The rescue helicopter also arrived quickly at the scene.

The Andelsbuch fire department and other rescue services from the Bregenz district were deployed. The recovery of the motorcycle from the bridge proved laborious because the engine block was jammed in the railing.

Major operation for emergency services from the Bregenzerwald

Police pointed out that the Bregenzerwaldstraße in the Andelsbuch section is winding and demanding for motorcyclists. Excessive speed as well as careless crossing of the roadway by cyclists and e-bikers are considered typical risk factors in the region.

The identity of the victim was not released in detail by police, citing the ongoing investigation. What is certain is that he was a 67-year-old Swiss national.

The Feldkirch public prosecutor's office has been brought into the case, as a traffic fatality is involved. Whether an expert report will be commissioned was initially unclear.

Police provided no further information on the health condition of the 73-year-old e-bike rider on Tuesday evening. After receiving initial care at the scene, he was flown to Feldkirch State Hospital.

According to police, cleanup operations at the accident site were completed around 5:30 p.m., after which the L200 was fully passable again. Traffic on the important alternative route through the Bregenzerwald returned to normal in the evening.