Seven people died and several were seriously injured in an accident involving a suspected smuggling vehicle on Autobahn 94 in Bavaria. The van, which was completely overcrowded with more than 20 people, left the road while trying to avoid a police checkpoint and overturned, the police said.
On Friday morning, the police reported seven deaths, but the situation was unclear. All occupants were at least slightly injured, some of them suffered serious injuries. They were taken to nearby hospitals.
The car overturned
There were also children in the car who were also at least injured, a police spokesman said. The vehicle left the road near the Ampfing/Waldkraiburg junction and overturned. The federal police had previously noticed the car on the A94 and wanted to stop it. The driver then accelerated sharply and evaded control. According to police, he is probably not among the dead.
According to the police, the overcrowding of the car may also have contributed to the high number of deaths and injuries. Many of the occupants could therefore not have been wearing seatbelts at all. The origin of those affected was initially unclear. The police said they were still in the process of determining the personal details of everyone involved.
Numerous emergency services and the fire department were on site in the morning. Rescue helicopters were also in use. The road in the direction of Munich was completely closed. The public prosecutor’s office took over the investigation into a possible homicide. The portal “rosenheim24.de” first reported on the accident.
A94 is considered a smuggling route
The scene of the accident is around 50 kilometers from the border with Austria. According to information from the Federal Police and the Bavarian Border Police, the number of registered unauthorized entries has been increasing for months. The A94 is considered a typical smuggling route. Just a few days ago, a suspected smuggler fled from the federal police near Burghausen with four people in the car and caused an accident. There were two seriously injured.
