Three-Car Crash on Germany's A38 Highway Leaves One Dead and Four Injured

A tragic multi-vehicle collision on Autobahn 38 in central Germany on Tuesday evening claimed the life of a 36-year-old woman and left four other people injured, including a young child. The incident, which involved three passenger vehicles, occurred around 6:10 p.m. near the municipality of Berga in the Mansfeld-Südharz district of Saxony-Anhalt. The collision completely halted eastbound traffic heading toward Halle and Leipzig for nearly eight hours.

According to findings from the Halle (Saale) Police Inspectorate, the chain of events began when the 36-year-old driver, a resident of Nordhausen, braked her Audi in the left lane for reasons that remain under investigation. A trailing BMW driven by a 51-year-old woman from Essen was unable to stop in time and collided with the rear of the Audi. Following the initial impact, both damaged vehicles came to an immediate stop on the roadway.

Moments later, an 86-year-old man from Nuremberg traveling in the right lane in a Mazda attempted to swerve to the left to avoid the stationary cars. His vehicle struck the BMW and then hit the 36-year-old Audi driver, who had exited her vehicle and was standing on the highway. Police officials confirmed that the woman suffered fatal injuries and died at the crash site before emergency medical personnel could intervene.

Four other people sustained injuries during the crash: the 86-year-old Mazda driver, his 83-year-old female passenger, the 51-year-old BMW driver, and a 10-year-old girl traveling in the BMW. Official accounts differed on the exact severity of their conditions, with some emergency reports stating that all four occupants suffered severe injuries, while other police updates indicated that two individuals were severely injured and two suffered minor injuries. Paramedics transported the victims to regional hospitals in Halle and Nordhausen.

The disaster triggered an extensive emergency response involving both ground crews and aviation units. First responders deployed 57 firefighters and 12 emergency vehicles from professional and volunteer fire departments across the area, including crews from Nordhausen, Berga, Kelbra, and neighboring towns. Multiple ambulances, an emergency physician vehicle, and two helicopters responded to the scene, while a specialized crisis intervention team was dispatched to assist those affected.

Following the crash, authorities closed the A38 highway completely in the direction of Halle and Leipzig. Officers diverted traffic away from the interstate at the Heringen junction, but the prolonged closure caused massive traffic jams extending for several kilometers along the vital east-west thoroughfare. Due to the close proximity of the crash site to the state border, police units from neighboring Thuringia were brought in to assist local officers with regional traffic redirection.

Towing services eventually cleared the three wrecked cars from the highway, with law enforcement currently estimating total property damage at approximately 23,000 euros. The full shutdown of the route was officially lifted around 2:00 a.m. Wednesday, nearly eight hours after the crash took place. The Central Traffic and Highway Service of the Halle Police Inspectorate remains in charge of the investigation into the exact circumstances of both impacts.