In the end, the whole country turned white: While rain and sleet in many low areas of Styria during the day temporarily shattered the dream of a white Christmas, the snow line fell later in the afternoon and also ensured the longed-for winter feeling in Graz. Meanwhile, a fairly thick blanket of snow was already accumulating on the mountains and in the south and west of Styria.
And that caused slips and accidents on many roads. A spectacular slip-up in Ennsling (municipality of Haus im Ennstal) ended lightly. A 28-year-old car driver from the Hartberg-Fürstenfeld district flew there (The police corrected their information about the driver of the accident on Thursday, editor’s note) just before 5 p.m. after an overtaking maneuver coming out of a right-hand bend. The car slid over an embankment, went through a fence and iron gate and crashed into a parked car and a house wall. Significant damage was caused and the driver was uninjured in the accident.
Accident in Ennsling: A parked car was also damaged
© FF Ruperting
The fire departments from Klein- and Großlobming had to respond to a collision between two cars on the B 77 (Gaberl-Straße). No one was injured in the accident and the road was reopened after an hour.
Two cars collided on the B 77 near Lobmingtal
© Thomas Zeiler
Traveling with summer tires
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In Rossegg (municipality of Stainz) there was a head-on collision between two vehicles on the snow-covered road of the B 76. A driver (85) from Graz was driving his vehicle in the direction of Graz; according to the police, his car still had summer tires on it. The 85-year-old lost control of his car, crossed into the oncoming lane and collided head-on with the car of a 39-year-old from the Deutschlandsberg district. She had tried in vain to avoid the Grazer.
Both drivers were slightly injured and taken to the LKH Deutschlandsberg by the Red Cross. Their cars were totaled.
Cars slid into the ditch
The Deutschlandsberg fire department had to rescue a car that had slipped off the snow-covered road on the L 619; the driver was then able to continue driving. The road to Weinebene looked like it was deep in winter, where the Glashütten fire department had to pull a car out of the ditch.
Slipping on the highways
Even on the highways, some “Christmas children” behind the wheel were apparently surprised by the predicted onset of winter. Vehicles kept getting stuck in the packing section on the A 2, and there were also problems and accidents on the A 9 in front of the Gleinalm tunnel. And in Gleisdorf the fire department also had to respond to a property damage accident.
Driver trapped
Not every accident ended so lightly. There was an accident on the Tauplitzalm Alpenstrasse in Bad Mitterndorf in the morning, in which a passenger was trapped in the vehicle and was injured. In addition to the Zauchen, Bad Mitterndorf and Klachau fire departments, the Red Cross and emergency doctors were also on duty.
Serious accident on the Tauplitzalm Alpine Road
© FF Zauchen
Appeal to drivers: “Drive carefully!”
The state’s road maintenance service (STED) appeals to drivers: “Please drive carefully, be considerate of each other – and get to your destination safely and safely!” Not only are the STED winter service vehicles on the roads on Christmas Eve to ensure the safety of the population, the Styria monitoring center and the seven winter service centers are also busy on the “Silent Night”.
