– Car crashed into the Aare – the driver is dead
Early on Sunday morning a car drove across the Mulberry roundabout and then plunged into the Aare. The driver died at the scene of the accident.
Published: May 5, 2024, 11:31 amUpdated 14 hours ago
Serious traffic accident in the middle of Thun: The white line shows where the car drove through before it broke through the railing next to the train station bridge (left).
Photo: Michael Gurtner
There are dramatic scenes that must have taken place in the middle of Thun early on Sunday morning. The tracks bear witness to this: A car drove from Frutigenstrasse across the Mulberry roundabout, just past the large stones piled up there to form a fountain. The car then crossed the junction with Scherzligweg, broke through the railing next to the station bridge and ended up in the Aare. There were no skid marks visible.
Traces on the grass show that the car drove across the roundabout, just past the fountain in the middle of the roundabout.
Photo: Michael Gurtner
On Sunday afternoon, the Bern cantonal police announced that the report of the accident had been received shortly before 5:50 a.m. According to current findings, there was a lateral collision with the curb on Frutigenstrasse. “For reasons that have yet to be clarified, the driver subsequently drove over the roundabout and broke through the Aare railing.”
The car fell several meters into the Aare. “The driver was fatally injured as a result of the accident,” writes the cantonal police. The cantonal police did not provide this newspaper with any information on the questions of whether the driver was already rescued dead or only succumbed to his injuries after being rescued and whether other people were involved in the accident.
Complex rescue with a crane
The car was recovered from the river using a crane. The Aarestrasse had to be closed for several hours due to the extensive work. A diversion has been set up. In addition to special services from the Bern cantonal police, an ambulance team, specialists from the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University of Bern and the Thun fire department were on duty.
According to the cantonal police’s press release, investigations into the accident and its exact circumstances have begun. The badly damaged Cupra car – demolished front, broken windshield – was removed shortly before midday on Sunday, as an on-site inspection showed.
The destroyed railing was temporarily replaced with barriers.
Photo: Michael Gurtner
Traffic accidents in the region
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Allow cookiesMore informationMichael Gurtner is co-head of department Thun-Oberland and Blattmacher. The focus of his reporting is the city of Thun – in the areas of politics, society, economy and culture. He has over 20 years of experience as a journalist and is the author of several books.More information
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