A 77-year-old died in a traffic accident in Schwarzach in Salzburg’s Pongau on Saturday evening. The woman had been a passenger with a 58-year-old Upper Austrian. Shortly before the Schönberg tunnel, his car collided head-on with the oncoming car of an 80-year-old Pinzgauer, who had lost control of his car in wintry road conditions and got into the oncoming lane.

As a result of the collision, the Upper Austrian driver and his passenger were trapped in their vehicle and rescued by the fire brigade. The 58-year-old driver was taken to the Schwarzach Clinic after first aid, his companion died at the scene of the accident after unsuccessful attempts at resuscitation. The 80-year-old from Salzburg was unharmed.

Both vehicles were totaled, and the Schönberg tunnel remained closed for three hours. In a press release, the police said that neither driver was found to be suffering from alcohol or drugs. The Salzburg public prosecutor ordered an investigation to clarify the cause of the accident.