Eight people were injured, two of them seriously, in two mass pile-ups on slippery roads in Middle Franconia on Tuesday evening. According to police, the first accident occurred on a snow-covered road near Heilsbronn in the Ansbach district. A 35-year-old driver was driving too fast, lost control of his car and drove into oncoming traffic. There he first collided with a car and then crashed into three other cars. The person who caused the accident was seriously injured and had to be taken to hospital by a rescue helicopter. A 46-year-old driver was also taken to hospital with serious injuries. Two other people suffered minor injuries and were treated on an outpatient basis. The police estimate the damage to the five cars involved at around 100,000 euros.
A little later something happened on a bridge Gunzenhausen a collision between ten cars. Here, too, a driver lost control of his car because of the slippery conditions and skidded, the police said. To avoid a collision, a truck driving behind the car braked and came to a stop across the bridge. Eight other drivers were unable to stop their cars in time, resulting in further collisions. Four people were slightly injured, two of whom were taken to hospital.