Feuerinferno in St. Ruprecht: Truck Rammt Zug - seriously injured driver!

Feuerinferno in St. Ruprecht: Truck Rammt Zug - seriously injured driver!

In a serious train accident at the unrestricted level crossing in St. Ruprecht an der Raab, Weiz district in Eastern Styria, there was a dramatic incident on Monday afternoon. A truck collided with a passenger train of the S-Bahn line 31 at 11:30 a.m., which not only led to significant damage to property but also to injuries. As oe24 was seriously injured and flown to the hospital with a rescue helicopter. In addition, at least three tensile occupancy suffered injuries, while other inmates were not injured.

The collision led to both vehicles caught fire. The fire brigade was used with four weirs and a total of 14 vehicles to extinguish the flames. Over 70 firefighters fought against the fire, which completely destroyed the truck and also affected the leadership of the train. The clean -up work and the extinguishing work took several hours, while train traffic was temporarily stopped and the federal road B64 was closed for some time. A rail replacement traffic was set up between Gleisdorf and Weiz to help the affected traveler.

Caution at level crossings

While the truck driver and several train occupants were injured in St. Ruprecht, another tragic incident in Germany caused a sensation on March 11, 2025. At a level crossing north of Karlsruhe, a tank truck collided with a light rail, which led to at least three fatalities. The driver of the tank truck, which transported heating oil, was seriously injured and flown to a clinic. According to tt.com were at the time of the collision, many passengers in the light railway, which were also sometimes slightly injured. The course of the accident is currently unclear and it is determined whether signals may have been overlooked.

Such tragic incidents at level crossings are, according to a study of the TÜV Nord Group alarmingly. Accordingly, over 27% of all train accidents and 98% of the accidents with death consequences happen at level crossings. The long brake paths of trains are often underestimated. At speeds of 160 km/h, a local train needs around 700 meters to stop. Even heavy trucks have no chance in such a scenario.

Enlightenment and technical security measures, such as barriers or warning lights, are of essential importance to increase safety at level crossings. Stefan Pöting, Head of Railway Technology at TÜV Nord, indicates that frustration over long waiting times in front of closed barriers can affect the risk awareness of road users. It is therefore important that the public understands how serious the dangers of such transitions are.

A total of 16 people were provided in the accident in St. Ruprecht, including the seriously injured truck drivers and the train occupants, as well as seven construction workers who had inhaled Rauch. Another five people did not need medical clarification in the hospital. The emergency services of the police and emergency services were on site with nine vehicles and 25 people to react quickly and to provide help.