Why was the bus standing on the tracks of the railway line? This question should be clarified after the accident near Ulm.
After the collision of a bus with a train in Blaustein near Ulm, the police are now checking whether the bus driver has committed a crime. The man put himself and others in danger through his behavior, a police spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
After the accident, the police reported on Tuesday that the 39-year-old bus driver drove onto the tracks in a traffic jam due to a previous accident at the level crossing in the Alb-Donau district. The man did not respond to calls from the police and rescue workers. When the barriers went down, the bus driver could no longer drive off the tracks and was hit with his bus by an approaching regional train.
The bus driver, who was alone in the vehicle, was thrown out and critically injured. The bus burned down. The 39-year-old is now out of danger, the spokeswoman said. The train driver also sustained serious injuries. He is still being treated in a clinic. Of the 74 passengers on the train, 11 suffered minor or moderate injuries.
According to the information, numerous witnesses should first be heard during the investigation. In addition, an expert will prepare a report. It should be clarified, for example, whether everything technically worked correctly at the barrier.
The train derailed in the collision. According to the police, he was hoisted onto the rails with a crane on Wednesday night and towed to the Blaustein train station. The total damage from the accident is around 1.4 million euros. Tracks were also damaged. The section of the Ulm-Sigmaringen railway line is not expected to be open again until the end of this week.
