Three people were killed in Sunday traffic accidents

Car in the river in the Most district

In the Most district today a parent drove a passenger car off the road for reasons not yet determined into the riverbed; the vehicle ended up in the icy water overturned onto its roof. The passenger — another adult — and a child were injured and rescuers transported them to hospital, but the driver, despite the efforts of the attending physicians, succumbed to his injuries.

“Firefighters, police officers and the ambulance service were operating at the scene, and traffic in the section was restricted during the rescue and extrication work,”

said a police spokeswoman, adding that the exact circumstances of the accident are the subject of further investigation. Firefighters secured the vehicle against further movement, checked for any leakage of operating fluids into the water and helped transport the injured to ambulances.

Fatal accident near Bystřice in the Benešov district

On road I/3 near Bystřice in the Benešov district today a truck for reasons still unclear crossed into the oncoming lane, where it collided head-on with an oncoming passenger car. The car was carrying a female driver and a passenger; both suffered serious injuries, but the passenger later died of his injuries.

“The driver of the passenger car and her passenger suffered serious injuries; immediate medical assistance was provided at the scene and they were transported to hospital,”

said the spokeswoman for the ambulance service. The road was completely closed for several hours during the response of all units of the integrated rescue system, and the police diverted traffic along detour routes.

Car under a train in the Šumperk district

Near Bohdíkov in the Šumperk district this morning a passenger car entered a level crossing directly in front of a passing train; the vehicle flipped onto its roof after the impact. Rescuers tried to resuscitate the injured driver at the scene, but despite all the efforts of medical staff the man died of his injuries; he had been traveling alone in the car.

“The driver of the passenger car apparently did not respect the warning signal of the safety device and entered the crossing, where he collided with a passing train,”

said regional police spokeswoman Marie Šafářová. According to firefighters they helped evacuate about 65 passengers from the train; service on the line between Bohdíkov and Ruda nad Moravou was suspended and substitute bus transport was introduced.

Police appeal to drivers

Police in all cases are carrying out the necessary procedures, securing evidence and determining whether excessive speed, inattention to driving or possible consumption of alcohol or other addictive substances played a role. “We urge all drivers, especially in winter, to obey traffic signs, heed warning lights at crossings and devote their full attention to driving,” emphasized the police spokeswoman.

Rescuers also remind that even slightly underestimating a situation can lead to irreversible consequences and the rapid, second-by-second transformation of an ordinary trip into a tragedy for entire families. According to them, it is essential to adjust speed to the condition of the road and the traffic situation and to allow for reduced visibility and longer braking distances.