Four dead in head-on collision on rural road in Thuringia

The 63-year-old truck driver survived the collision. According to initial findings, he attempted to swerve but could no longer prevent the collision. The man was in shock after the accident.

The police estimated the property damage at around 50,000 euros. An expert was appointed to reconstruct the exact course of the accident. The precise reason why the car veered into the oncoming lane is to be clarified by the expert report.

Cause of accident still unclear

Rural road L1124 was completely closed in the affected section between the districts of Kaltensundheim and Aschenhausen for more than four hours. Traffic was widely diverted.

The accident is part of a series of serious traffic accidents in Thuringia. According to the Ministry of the Interior, young drivers and seniors are disproportionately involved in accidents. In the entire previous year, 93 people died on Thuringia's roads.

Background: Accident statistics in Thuringia

In total, almost 52,000 traffic accidents were registered in Thuringia last year, an increase of 2.7 percent compared to 2024. Authorities are urging increased caution on the roads in light of these figures.

A particularly serious accident occurred in April 2023 near Bad Langensalza, when seven people died, five of them just having reached the age of majority. The driver responsible for the accident was drunk, speeding, and driving without a license. He was sentenced to four years in prison for, among other things, negligent homicide.