Lorry accident shuts down A1 motorway

(CS) A lorry accident on the German A64 motorway caused major tailbacks on Friday evening with the Luxembourg A1 closed from the Mertert exit as a result and traffic diverted via Grevenmacher.

The motorway in direction of Trier was blocked completely by the accident, after a lorry driver had lost control of his vehicle, which toppled over and blocked all four lanes in both directions. 

According to a statement by German police the cause of the accident was probably a burst tyre. The driver was severely injured in the accident. No one else was injured although several vehicles were damaged by flying debris.

The damage is estimated at 300,000 euros in total.

The accident happened after the main rush hour, around 7pm, but nonetheless a traffic jam of some seven kilometres built up in direction of Trier. 

On the Luxembourg side of the border the motorway was closed from the Mertert exit and only reopened around 8am on Saturday morning.