Thousands of motorists are currently stuck on German highways. Countless Dutch people have also been snowed in for hours on the Autobahn. They have no idea when they will be able to continue driving again. “There were only three firefighters who handed out very dirty tea.”
Jurian Zwarts is one of the Dutch people who are in custody. He and his friends are on their way to Austria for a skiing holiday, but for hours he has been unable to get any further on the A7 just after Kassel. “We have been standing still since 2:50 am. There is actually no information available online as to whether there is even a plan to redirect people. We are waiting and waiting.”
For that reason the skis were already taken out of the stable. “I’ve never been off-piste so much,” he jokes.
So there is no real progress in the matter, according to Drachter. “Earlier, a few cars passed through the emergency lane between the trucks. They hope to be able to reach a gas station, because there seems to be a B-road there. Not everyone does that, but we saw later that it also came to a standstill. It doesn’t really seem like a solution.”
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Trucks
While driving, the 42-year-old noticed that many trucks were already standing still. “The truck exits, where the drivers spend the night, were already full. At one point we saw that they were standing quite dangerously and then it was one wall of trucks. The left lanes were always clear and then you get further and further, but after we drove a little further, we couldn’t do anything anymore.”
What doesn’t make it much better is that Black’s car, with two of his friends in it, is hit. Seven friends took the plane, while another car with three occupants was already driving miles away and was able to leave the highway. Zwarts’ car also contains all the necessary items for the ski holiday.
Unfortunately for the group of friends, the emergency services are nowhere to be seen. “A few firefighters didn’t know anything about how long it would take and what exactly was going on. There doesn’t really seem to be a plan, or any advice on the internet. There is also no guidance, such as ‘hey, exit via the emergency lane, so that people can leave’. There is an exit in six kilometers, but apparently no one goes there either. Otherwise we could already move.”
‘Hopeless’
As mentioned, many Dutch people are stuck in Germany. A German motorist therefore asked Zwarts whether there was a special group holiday, which according to the Frisian was not the case. It is also completely closed on the A61 towards Frankfurt. This is what trucker Eelco experiences, who can only describe the situation in one word: “Hopeless.”
“It has also started snowing heavily again. We have been standing still since 7 a.m. and I have the feeling that an accident has happened further down the road,” Eelco summarizes the problems. “Some space has been made for the emergency services and so that passenger cars can pass through, but the trucks are all stationary here.”
The prospect of help and guidance is also hardly encouraging for the truck driver. “I haven’t seen anything yet. Only a police car drove through here, but that was a few hours ago. There is also no Red Cross that comes to help. It remains to be seen.”