Obviously confused woman 82-year-old woman drives 20 kilometers as a wrong-way driver on the freeway

In Germany, an 82-year-old female driver drove 20 kilometers as a wrong-way driver on a freeway in Hesse. As a result of the senior citizen's wrong-way journey on the A5 in the Alsfeld area, there was an accident with one casualty, as the police in Fulda reported on Sunday. A collision occurred when cars had to slow down.

Keystone-SDA

19.01.2025, 13:38

SDA

According to the officers, the 82-year-old drove onto the freeway in the wrong direction near Alsfeld on Saturday for reasons that are still unclear and continued her journey for around 20 kilometers despite oncoming vehicles. The police received numerous emergency calls. Several patrols managed to stop the wrong-way driver. The woman made a "confused impression", explained the police. She was taken to hospital. Her driver's license was confiscated by the public prosecutor's office.

Police prevent major damage

According to the officers, a 19-year-old driver had to brake hard because of the oncoming senior citizen. The following car hit his vehicle, causing minor injuries to a 68-year-old woman. In the end, it was only thanks to the "careful behavior of many road users" and the "professional actions of the police patrols deployed" that nothing more happened, the police added.

According to the police, the 82-year-old woman was on her way back from a vacation in southern Germany to her home in Mainz in Rhineland-Palatinate - in other words, at the time of the incident, she was already driving more than 100 kilometers too far north and in the wrong direction. When and why she deviated from her route was therefore unclear and should be investigated further.