Five injured after rear-end collision involving four vehicles on the A2 Südautobahn

In total, five people were injured in the collision. Four of those involved sustained minor injuries, according to the emergency services; they received medical treatment at the Landeskrankenhaus Graz and were able to be discharged home the same day. A woman with injuries of severity not yet conclusively determined was flown by the rescue helicopter Christophorus 12 to the LKH Graz.

Closures and disruptions on the A2

Because of the landing of the rescue helicopter, the Südautobahn had to be fully closed in both directions between 16:25 and 16:40. After the helicopter operation ended, the lane toward Villach could be reopened, as could one lane in the direction of Vienna. The second lane toward Vienna remained closed for cleanup work until approximately 17:30.

A truck incident on the Südautobahn had already caused disruptions in the morning; in the afternoon, the rear-end collision then occurred in the Gleisdorf West/Nestelbach bei Graz area. As a result, traffic on the A2 backed up over several kilometers during the afternoon holiday travel. Police pointed out that the elderly driver had presumably overlooked the end of the traffic jam.

Investigations and background

The rescue and recovery operations were supported by the Red Cross and the fire department. During the helicopter operation and the recovery, the A2 between Gleisdorf West and Nestelbach bei Graz was at times completely blocked, leading to significant delays in the evening rush-hour traffic. After the cleaning and recovery work was completed, the situation on the Südautobahn returned to normal by the evening.

Police have opened investigations into the exact sequence of the accident. The 82-year-old driver from Poland is, according to the current state of knowledge, regarded as the cause of the rear-end collision because he presumably failed to notice the end of the traffic jam in time. There were initially no indications of third-party fault or a technical defect on any of the vehicles involved.

Traffic situation on the Südautobahn

The A2 Südautobahn is one of Austria's most important east-west connections, linking the metropolitan areas of Vienna and Graz. Traffic disruptions on this route regularly affect holiday travel toward the south and east. On Tuesday, an additional complicating factor was that a truck incident had already caused delays in the morning, and the accident site in the afternoon was located in a section with elevated holiday travel volume.

Media had previously reported on the helicopter deployment and the kilometer-long traffic jam on the A2. The news portal 5 Minuten headlined: „Hubschrauber-Einsatz auf A2: Unfall sorgt für kilometerlangen Stau.“ What consequences the accident will have for the insurers involved and any potential criminal-law implications remained unclear in the evening. Police announced a detailed report.