Tamsweg: 79-year-old dies in hospital 10 days after head-on crash

A serious traffic accident occurred on Sunday at around 5.30 p.m. on the Murtal road (B96) in Tamsweg between the districts of Penk and Seetal (Lungau). A 79-year-old driver from Germany was driving his car towards Murau when he veered onto the opposite lane in a slight right-hand bend and collided head-on with an oncoming car driven by a 33-year-old Slovakian, the police said in a press release on Monday.

The 79-year-old was seriously injured in the impact and was flown by emergency helicopter to the hospital in Klagenfurt, where he died yesterday, police said on Thursday afternoon.

Over 50 helpers in action in Tamsweg

The 33-year-old and his passenger were taken to the hospital in Tamsweg with serious and minor injuries, the Red Cross said. A breathalyzer test on the Slovakian driver was negative, and a test on the German driver was not possible on site due to his injuries. The Salzburg public prosecutor ordered a blood alcohol test. Both vehicles were written off.

The Tamsweg fire brigade was deployed with the Sauerfeld fire brigade. The fire brigade immediately set up fire protection and a suitable helicopter landing pad. In order to rescue a seriously injured person, a large opening had to be created with a hydraulic rescue device after consultation with the emergency doctor. Two doors and the B-pillar of the vehicle had to be removed for this, according to Thomas Keidel, spokesman for the Lungau fire brigade district. The firefighters then cleaned the road.

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In total, six fire brigade vehicles, three rescue vehicles, a rescue helicopter and two police vehicles with a total of 57 emergency personnel were involved in the operation. The B96 was completely closed until around 7:30 p.m.

(Source: SALZBURG24)