Shock on Christmas Eve: Wrong-way driver accident on A2 – six injured!

Shock on Christmas Eve: Wrong-way driver accident on A2 – six injured!

On December 24, 2025, at around 4:25 p.m., a serious traffic accident occurred on the A2 Südautobahn near Wernberg. A 41-year-old man from Bosnia and Herzegovina turned his car around on the snow-covered road and then drove wrong-way towards the A10-A11 junction. A 65-year-old woman from the Klagenfurt-Land district was traveling in the opposite direction and was unable to avoid the head-on collision. This tragic incident resulted in a total of six injuries, including all four occupants of the wrong-way driver vehicle and two occupants of the correctly driving car, who suffered injuries of an unspecified degree. Medical care for the injured took place in the Villach regional hospital. Fireworld reported that rescue vehicles from the Carinthian Rescue Service, supported by 23 paramedics and an emergency doctor, were on site.

The rescue measures required the deployment of several patrols from the Villach motorway police and the Gödersdorf, Drobollach and Wernberg volunteer fire departments. The damaged vehicles were recovered by a towing company. Due to the accident, there were significant traffic delays on the A2. The highway was completely closed until around 5:30 p.m. and was only accessible in one lane until 6:20 p.m. The investigation into the exact cause of the accident is ongoing.

Traffic accidents in Austria

Unfortunately, such predicaments on the streets are not uncommon in Austria. In 2024, for example, there were around 2.5 million road traffic accidents in Germany, and the number of traffic deaths was reduced. In the EU, too, the goal of “Vision Zero” is to achieve zero traffic deaths by 2050. The most common causes of traffic accidents are insufficient distance, inadequate speed and driving under the influence of alcohol. Statista highlights that human factors such as inattention and recklessness continue to play a major role.

The accident near Wernberg shows once again how important a safe traffic infrastructure and road users' awareness of potential dangers are. The incident could serve as an impetus to increase efforts to prevent such tragic accidents. The goal should be to minimize the risk on the roads and further reduce the number of injuries and deaths. courier reports on the increase in security measures following such unfortunate events. Overall, the prevention of traffic accidents remains an important social challenge that requires the commitment of everyone involved.