Pictures show destruction in Wattwil SG Grandparents and grandson (9) die in horror crash
Three people die in a head-on collision between their car and a Postbus and a subsequent accident in Wattwil SG. They are probably parents and grandparents.
09.08.2024, 06:49
09.08.2024, 09:11
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- A car has crashed head-on into a Postbus in Wattwil SG.
- The force of the impact hurled the 76-year-old's car back into a car behind him.
- The driver, the 75-year-old female passenger and a nine-year-old boy were killed in the accident.
At around 4.15 p.m., the driver veered into the oncoming lane on a slight right-hand bend in Rickenstrasse, as the cantonal police reported in the evening. There he collided head-on with the Postbus used as a rail replacement bus. The force of the impact hurled the 76-year-old's car back into a car behind him.
The 68-year-old Postbus driver suffered undetermined injuries. Swiss Air-Rescue flew him to hospital. Some of the several dozen passengers in the Postbus were slightly injured. None of them had to go to hospital; the rescue service looked after them at the scene. The 49-year-old woman in the car that was hit escaped without injury.
Died at the scene of the accident
According to the police, the emergency services were only able to determine the death of the 75-year-old woman and the 76-year-old man when they arrived. The nine-year-old was resuscitated by the ambulance service and the emergency doctor, but without success. The boy also died at the scene of the accident. He had been traveling in the rear seat.
Three people die in a horrific accident in Wattwil SG.
Image: BRK News
A child was also killed
Image: BRK News
The two cars were completely destroyed.
Image: BRK News
A Postbus was also involved in the accident.
Image: BRK News
The exact circumstances are currently being investigated.
Image: BRK News
Three people die in a horrific accident in Wattwil SG.
Image: BRK News
A child was also killed
Image: BRK News
The two cars were completely destroyed.
Image: BRK News
A Postbus was also involved in the accident.
Image: BRK News
The exact circumstances are currently being investigated.
Image: BRK News
The two older deceased are Germans from the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, according to the police based on initial findings. The boy was also a German citizen, but lived in the region.
Police spokesman Florian Schneider told the "St. Galler Tagblatt" that the deceased were probably grandparents and grandchildren. "We are pretty sure that they are the people in question - but we have to be 100 percent sure with the police."
However, identifying the deceased is "extremely difficult and takes much longer than if someone is resident in Switzerland", Schneider continued.
Public prosecutor's office investigating
The fire department took the Postbus passengers to a place of care, where the care team looked after them. Rickenstrasse was closed for several hours.
During this time, light traffic was diverted via the old Rickenstrasse, while heavy traffic had to drive around the scene of the accident. This caused traffic obstructions in the Wattwil and Ricken region. The public prosecutor's office launched an investigation to clarify the cause of the accident.