Leipzig FlixBus highway accident

On 27 March 2024, in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany, an accident involving a Flixbus en route to Zürich, Switzerland from Berlin occurred on the Bundesautobahn 9, with the vehicle veering off the road, killing four people and injuring 35 more.^[1][2]

Leipzig FlixBus highway accident

Location of the collision
Date	27 March 2024 (2024-03-27)
Time	CET (9:45 a.m. CET)
Location	Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
Coordinates	51°20′24″N 12°22′30″E / 51.34000°N 12.37500°E / 51.34000; 12.37500
Deaths	4
Non-fatal injuries	35

Both sides of the Autobahn were closed.^[1]

Background

Bus company Umbrella Mobility, that operates the line on behalf of Flixbus, was several times negatively in the news in the year before the accident. A former driver stated that the company's fleet is an "absolute disaster". Next to that in October 2023, a bus driver was caught driving under influence of alcohol with 2.4 per mille of alcohol in his blood.^[3]

Investigation

Passengers told German media that the two drivers had an argument just before the accident.^[3]

The day after the accident it was announced the German Public Prosecution Service started an investigation into the 62-years-old driver of the bus.^[4] Justice accuses the driver of unintentional manslaughter and causing bodily harm through negligence.^[3]

Five days after the accident the head of bus company Umbrella Mobility responded to the accident and blamed the passengers who were killed because they were not wearing their seat belts.^[3]

References

1. "FlixBus: Deadly crash on German motorway near Leipzig". BBC News. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
2. "A bus has come off a highway in eastern Germany, killing at least 5 people". ABC News. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
3. "Baas van busmaatschappij geeft overleden passagiers de schuld na ongeval met Flixbus". Het Laatste Nieuws. 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
4. "Duits OM onderzoekt chauffeur Flixbus na ongeval bij Leipzig". Transport Online. 28 March 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.