A serious crash on a federal road in Austria on Wednesday sent six Germans to hospital, two of them with serious injuries. Police said an 11-year-old girl had been sitting in the trunk with two dogs during the journey and was apparently thrown from the car in the collision with a truck.
The crash happened at about 6 p.m. near Schladming in Styria, southeast of Salzburg. Six people were in a car licensed for only five occupants. A 40-year-old German was at the wheel.
At a junction the car struck an oncoming truck for reasons that remain unclear. The girl suffered serious injuries. She was taken first to a hospital in Schladming and then by rescue helicopter to a clinic in Graz. A 67-year-old front-seat passenger was also seriously hurt. The other four occupants suffered injuries of still unknown extent and were treated in Schladming as well.
The truck broke through a guardrail, crossed onto a grass strip and tipped onto its side. Its 44-year-old driver, from Salzburg, was unhurt. Firefighters said they pumped about 350 litres of diesel from the damaged tank. Both dogs received veterinary care. The B320 was fully closed during the recovery work.