Fischergasse in Herzogenburg: Deadly truck accident shakes the city

Fischergasse in Herzogenburg: Deadly truck accident shakes the city

On Tuesday, April 1, 2025, a tragic traffic accident occurred at 12:10 p.m. in Fischergasse in Herzogenburg, in which a 76-year-old pedestrian from the St. Pölten-Land district was recorded by a tractor. The truck, which was controlled by a 46-year-old Polish citizen, previously stated to enable a worker to change a company vehicle. After the driver started again, he noticed a impact on the left side of the vehicle shortly afterwards and immediately stopped. To his horror, he found the pedestrian lying under the truck. Despite a rescue chain that is immediately initiated, the woman died at the scene of the accident. To secure the accident site, the streets Wiener Straße and Fischergasse were closed from 12:45 p.m. to 2:13 p.m. and a local diversion was set up. This information was provided by 5min.at

Another less serious accident took place on Thursday morning on the S 33 in Herzogenburg, where a saddle lug collided with a impact damper. The 20-year-old driver of the tractor only suffered minor injuries, and the clean-up work after the accident spent more than four hours. These events show the dangers that are related to heavy trucks in road traffic. Details of this incident come from Noen.at .

The problem of the "dead angle"

The high risks in road traffic are underpinned by statistics that show that every fifth pedestrian killed (21%) and every sixth killed cyclist (16%) died between 2015 and 2019 in accidents with truck participation. Trucks are involved in average in six percent of accidents with pedestrians and three percent of accidents with cyclists. Accidents with trucks often have serious consequences, which can explain the high proportion.

A central problem is the "dead angle", especially when turning right and when starting off. Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Robatsch, head of traffic safety research in the KFV, emphasizes the need for technical aids, infrastructure measures and consciousness formation. Truck drivers are often aware of the dangers of the dead angle, while pedestrians and cyclists are less informed. There is a clear information deficit about the visibility from the perspective of truck drivers.

suggestions for improving traffic safety

• installation of assistance systems (e.g. turning and emergency brake assistant).
• Optimization of the infrastructure (e.g. separate traffic light phases, early holding lines for cyclists, sufficient visibility at intersections).

The overarching goal of these measures is to increase risk perception and implement effective traffic safety measures. These findings come from the KFV's explanations, which analyzes the dangers of trucks in road traffic and strives for improvement solutions. Further information on this can be found at kfv.at