Thuringia: articulated lorry with tram crashed: complex salvage

It is an unusual picture: an overturned tram and a heavy-duty transporter are lying in a ditch next to the motorway.

Thuringia: articulated lorry with tram crashed: complex salvage

It is an unusual picture: an overturned tram and a heavy-duty transporter are lying in a ditch next to the motorway. The salvage is not commonplace.

Triptis (dpa/th) - A heavy-duty truck loaded with a 42-meter-long tram has slid down a ten-meter-deep embankment on Autobahn 9. The accident on Tuesday night resulted in damage of around 2.5 million euros, according to the highway police.

The 53-year-old driver lost control of the vehicle between the Lederhose and Triptis junctions for reasons that have not yet been clarified. The heavy-duty truck left the roadway to the right and broke through the guardrail.

The driver suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital as a precaution, officials said. The salvage of the semi-trailer and the tram is not commonplace and complicated, said a spokesman for the highway police.

In the evening it was said that in order to enable the 42 meter long tram to be recovered, it would be separated into five segments by special companies. The recovery company will erect the wagons and lift them out of the embankment with a mobile crane. This should also happen with the truck and its trailer. Five low-loaders are ready for transport.

The salvage work should take several hours. Two lanes had to be closed in the direction of Munich. The left lane should continue to be kept clear for traffic. In addition, the Rodaborn car park was closed during the rescue.