Roadway A1 resumed operation following a full shutdown
In an unfortunate incident, a fatal accident occurred on the A1 motorway near the Cologne North junction and the Niehl exit during the evening rush hour on Friday.
At approximately 5:30 PM, a 43-year-old driver in an Audi was involved in a collision under the trailer of an articulated lorry. The Audi, severely deformed due to the accident, was challenging to recover.
The accident caused a traffic jam that was over a kilometer long, and the A1 motorway remained closed until late in the evening as a result. The rest of the traffic was rerouted due to the accident and subsequent traffic jam. Vehicles stuck in the traffic jam were directed back to the Cologne North junction in the evening.
The lorry driver, aged 34, was uninjured in the accident. However, tragically, the Audi driver was trapped in the car and died at the scene of the accident. The name of the driver has not been publicly disclosed in the available sources.
Official reports state that 37 emergency services personnel were deployed for the accident, and 14 vehicles were used by the emergency services for the accident response.
The accident caused significant disruption, with a rescue lane possibly needed to manage traffic. After several hours, traffic on the A1 motorway in the direction of Dortmund has now resumed to normal.
For those interested in learning more about correct traffic behaviour during jams, a photo gallery and potentially a video demonstration on how to create a rescue lane may be available above the article.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased during this difficult time. We encourage all road users to drive safely and responsibly, especially during rush hours.
