Landunter on the A2. The cars sank deep into the water and even the police couldn’t get any further Photo: Lametz Mauermann/dpa
From the BZ editorial team
Late on Tuesday morning, sudden heavy rain flooded the A2 between Beckum (Warendorf district) and Oelde. Just minutes earlier there was a serious accident at the same location, leaving a man with life-threatening injuries.
At around 11:15 a.m., a van crashed into the rear of a truck. It had probably skidded due to large amounts of water already on the road.
The driver was trapped in his vehicle and suffered life-threatening injuries when he hit the rear of the truck. The fire department had to free him with heavy equipment. The man was taken to hospital in a rescue helicopter.
Two people are sitting on the edge of the water and can’t believe it Photo: Lametz Mauermann/dpa
Shortly after the accident, the rain became so heavy that enormous amounts of water quickly accumulated on an approximately one kilometer long section of the A2 towards Hanover.
There was no getting through anymore. Cars disappeared up to their windshields in the one-meter-high flood. A patrol car that was on the way to the accident also stopped making progress. A pig truck was also stuck. The animals had to be reloaded.
At the same time, the tidal wave rushed through the town of Vellern, which is next to the motorway.