By Ulrike Krieger
Shock at the Berlin Eagles. The team, 60 people in a charter bus, was on its way to Schwäbisch Hall for the playoff quarterfinals of the German Football League when disaster almost struck on the A9 (at Weißenfels).
While driving, the bus driver (BMobility24) suddenly collapsed.
Berlin’s offensive coordinator Lee Rowland (69) prevented the worst by jumping on the brakes and the steering wheel, bringing the bus to a safe standstill in a construction site.
After the accident on the A9, the Adler footballers had to stay on the highway Photo: Berlin Adler
The first aid (suspected heart attack) was then taken over by the Adler physiotherapists Marie Lindner (27), Nicole (40) and Justin Loebel (24) and a former Charité doctor who happened to be stuck in a traffic jam.
The autobahn had to be completely closed, the bus driver was taken to the hospital in Leipzig and is said to have suffered a stomach rupture.
After that, the game was lost
The Berlin Adler team waited at a rest stop for a replacement bus until 11 p.m., reaching Nuremberg at around 2.30 a.m. The unfortunate 21:35 the next day against Schwäbisch Hall was only a minor matter.