Eight-year-old in Styria ran into car while carrying cousin on her back

Course of the accident

The three-year-old cousin, whom the girl was carrying on her back, initially complained of headaches but then required no further medical care, as police reported. A breathalyzer test conducted on the 85-year-old driver also came back negative.

In addition to police, the Red Cross Wildalpen and the Red Cross Altenmarkt bei St. Gallen were deployed. The exact cause of the accident is still the subject of investigations.

The scene of the accident is located in the municipality of Gams bei Hieflau in the Liezen district of Upper Styria, near the B 25 federal highway, which connects the Ennstal with the inner highlands. The municipality has only a few hundred residents, and the affected municipal road runs past inns and residential buildings.

Emergency services and rescue

Police indicated that the eight-year-old girl wanted to cross the road from the beer garden toward the inn opposite. No information was initially provided regarding the driver's exact field of vision or the speed of the vehicle.

According to the information available so far, both children were in a family setting when the accident occurred. Authorities are now investigating how the collision could have happened and whether supervision duties were violated.

Open questions and investigations

The incident also raises questions about traffic safety on municipal roads, particularly when children cross the roadway between inns and beer gardens. In rural areas, there is often a lack of pedestrian crossings or speed limits in the immediate vicinity of hospitality establishments.

The 85-year-old driver was uninjured as of the current state of knowledge. Police investigations into the exact course of the accident are ongoing.