Overview
- Two collisions on the A57 on Monday created major disruption: a three‑lorry crash near Meerbusch‑Bovert injured two people and a separate two‑lorry rear‑end collision at Büttgen left one driver trapped and in life‑threatening condition.
- Fire crews used hydraulic rescue tools to free the entrapped driver and handed him to emergency medics for intensive hospital care, while other injured people were treated on scene and transported to hospital.
- At Meerbusch one truck tipped onto the central barrier and tore out sections of concrete from the median, which prompted a specialist inspection that found the bridge itself was not damaged.
- The A57 was closed for hours and was later reopened in a single lane with reduced speed; authorities warned of long delays and local traffic pressure because of nearby roadworks and detours.
- Police traffic investigators are securing evidence and probing the exact causes, and vehicle recovery plus cleaning of fuel and oil spills are continuing with further traffic restrictions possible into the next day.