Overview
- Police in Düsseldorf said that black ice caused a sequence of five linked accidents on the Ruhrtalbrücke on Saturday morning, 7 November 2026.
- Two drivers lost control and struck the bridge walls, a third vehicle left the roadway, there was a rear-end collision and a crash with a waiting car.
- An empty police patrol car was damaged during the incidents and three motorists aged 23, 48 and 40 suffered only minor injuries with two taken to hospital.
- Officers closed the bridge for Streumaßnahmen (de-icing), lifted most of the restriction around 08:15 and directed traffic single-file until the A52 was fully cleared and reopened by 10:25.
- Local reporting and weather services note early frost nights in North Rhine-Westphalia increase the risk of glatteis on bridges and high spots, so drivers should expect slippery conditions on cold mornings.