Overview
- The head-on collision occurred around midnight between Autobahndreieck Wanlo and the Erkelenz-Ost junction after multiple calls reported a car driving the wrong way.
- The 47-year-old motorist was taken to a Mönchengladbach hospital, where he died shortly after arrival.
- The 33-year-old wrong-way driver sustained serious injuries and is reported by police to be in stable condition.
- Firefighters freed both trapped drivers using hydraulic rescue tools during a large, coordinated response that included a crane, several ambulances, and emergency doctors.
- The A46 was fully closed for rescue and crash investigation, causing significant overnight traffic disruptions and diversions, and no other vehicles were involved.