Drunk wrong-way driver causes chaos on B173 in Lichtenfels!

Drunk wrong-way driver causes chaos on B173 in Lichtenfels!

Has anyone seen a ghost? Last Sunday, at 9:55 p.m. to be precise, a wrong-way driver caused a stir on the B173 near Lichtenfels. A road user noticed that a 48-year-old man was driving in the wrong lane in a gray Ford heading towards Kronach. He quickly informed the police, who then immediately closed the street. A little later, the officers discovered an accident vehicle in the construction site area between Lichtenfels-Mitte and Lichtenfels-Ost - the same Ford C-Max of the wrong-way driver.

The driver, who apparently realized that he was traveling in the wrong direction, tried to drive into the construction site in order not to endanger other road users. However, this resulted in a rough impact with a concrete edge, causing significant damage to the front of the vehicle and the underbody. A towing company was required to recover the vehicle. A clear smell of alcohol from the driver alerted the police; he had to be accompanied to the hospital for a blood sample. The total damage from this incident amounts to around 2,500 euros, according to the Main post reported.

Wrong-way drivers are a serious issue on German roads. In another incident that occurred on the same route in August, a 79-year-old driver was traveling the wrong way around 8:45 p.m. According to information from in Franconia the senior had only turned on the parking lights. Before a collision occurred, several drivers reported the wrong-way driver. Ultimately there was a head-on collision with the vehicle of a 65-year-old woman from Middle Franconia, whereby the 79-year-old lost control of his car and hit another vehicle.

Fortunately, everyone involved in this incident was uninjured. The road in the direction of the A73 had to be completely closed while the accident was being investigated while firefighters diverted traffic. However, the consequences for the older driver became serious: his driver's license was confiscated and he is being investigated for endangering road traffic. The damage caused by this incident is estimated at around 50,000 euros.

The issue of driving on the wrong side of the road is a worrying phenomenon in German road traffic, as figures from Statista show. Studies show that driver misconduct is a common cause of accidents resulting in personal injuries. Data collected from 2010 to 2024 shows that there is often a lack of attention. Between drunk driving and driving the wrong way - it is clear that the importance of consideration and attention cannot be overestimated.

The incidents at Lichtenfels should be a clear wake-up call for all of us. Whether it's consuming one less glass or simply paying attention to the road: a good driver knows that temperament doesn't belong behind the wheel. For #roadsafety, we can only hope that such wrong-way driver cases are unthinkable in the future.