Heavy fog: One killed, 19 hurt in multi-car crash; Drivers told to stay off roads
At least one person was killed, and 19 others were injured when dozens of cars rammed into each other on the A32 highway near Akkrum, Friesland. As dense fog reduced visibility in parts of the country to just five meters, Dutch infrastructure agency Rijkswaterstaat called on drivers to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.
The trouble at Akkrum started just after 6:30 p.m. at marker 57.5. Firefighters, paramedics and police were all quickly dispatched to the scene. A trauma team was sent in a helicopter about 20 minutes later to assist the first responders.
⚠️ | Ga niet de weg op als dat niet hoeft. Op veel plaatsen komt dichte #mist voor. Moet je toch de weg op? Pas dan je rijstijl aan. pic.twitter.com/7gY2L3sAR6
— Rijkswaterstaat Verkeersinformatie (@RWSverkeersinfo) December 31, 2019
One person died from injuries in the crash, police said. Two others were seriously injured, and 17 were being treated for minor injuries. Police said several dozen vehicles were involved in the chain reaction accident.
Some 30 to 40 cars were involved in another crash nearby, as workers were still dealing with the situation which closed part of the A32. Police warned about the dangerous situation unfolding in Heerenveen on the A7 at the A32. "Here too, several people were injured. All emergency services are on site. Dense fog is also present at this location," said police in Friesland. Authorities later revised this, saying no serious injuries were treated in the aftermath of the crash.
Update met foto's van de situatie op de #A32 bij #Akkrum
— Transport Online (@transportonline) December 31, 2019
==> https://t.co/VJP7EDYLD7#GRIP1 pic.twitter.com/AD58U5Vdc2
If the warnings throughout the day were not enough to keep people off the roads, police in Coevorden said that fog reduced visibility below five meters. Drivers, bikers, and pedestrians were told to exercise caution by officers in the town, which lies at the border of Drenthe and Germany.
⛔️ | De #A32 is DICHT naar Leeuwarden vanaf knp. Heerenveen. Bij Akkrum gebeurde een ernstig ongeval met meerdere voertuigen. Omrijden 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/ZzvyuGJwqj
— Rijkswaterstaat Verkeersinformatie (@RWSverkeersinfo) December 31, 2019
Another multi-car crash was causing problems Tuesday night on the A28 at Harderwijk in Gelderland at about 7:20 p.m. Several ambulances were dispatched to the scene, and parts of the A28 were shut down as authorities dealt with the accidents. There was at least one injury reported from the scene, but few details were available.
In Flevoland, just north of the crash site, visibility fell far below 50 meters, according to Omroep Flevoland.
En ook de #A28 is DICHT bij Harderwijk door ‘n ongeval en meerdere ongelukken in de file ervoor. Richting Amersfoort vanuit Zwolle? Omrijden via 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/1gzPKiF8yy
— Rijkswaterstaat Verkeersinformatie (@RWSverkeersinfo) December 31, 2019