Over the weekend, freezing cold weather crept across Germany, wreaking havoc on the roads. As of Tuesday morning, there have been numerous reports of accidents, injuries and traffic jams.
The wintery weather has caused a number of problems on German roads. Thuringia has seen a number of accidents across all of its motorways, according to a police spokesperson. Several accidents were reported at the Hermsdorfer Kreuz interchange and a truck driver had to be taken to hospital after being involved in an accident on the A4. The route has since been closed due to a salvage operation.
There were also numerous problems in Lower Saxony. In Schüttorf, a car slipped off the road and crashed into a tree, according to police. The driver was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Several other injuries were also reported, including that over a 22-year-old driver and his 21-year-old passenger, who reportedly skidded off the road whilst overtaking in the Cloppenburg district of Emstek.
The autobahn in Hesse has been seriously affected by the cold weather. On the A5, near Alsfeld, traffic has slowed down to a halt in both directions after the weather conditions prevented heavy goods vehicles from travelling any further. The police in northern Hesse have had reports of around a dozen incidents in the Kassel area and there was also an accident that resulted in minor injuries on the A7, near Kaufungen.
On the A3, near the city of Idstein in southern Hesse, 14 vehicles were involved in a collision during a sudden storm on Monday. Poor visibility was reportedly the cause of the incident. Two people received minor injuries and the damage amounted to around 85.000 euros.