Where did the accident on the A2 occur?

The rear-end collision occurred in the afternoon on Highway 2, also known as A2, heading south and in the territory of Coldrerio. For reasons yet to be established, the car rear-ended a truck stopped on the side of the carriageway, in the emergency bay. The first information was gathered by Rescue Media and then confirmed by the Cantonal Police.

Which emergency services intervened?

Agents from the cantonal police, the Mendrisiotto Fire Brigade, and rescuers from the Servizio Autoambulanza Mendrisiotto arrived at the scene, along with Rega. After receiving first aid, the driver was transported by ambulance, while the passenger was taken to hospital by helicopter.

How has traffic changed?

To allow rescue operations and the helicopter to land, the A2 was temporarily closed. Subsequently, traffic was routed into a single lane. The cantonal police advised against travelling on the A2 or on roads heading south, reporting completely congested traffic between Mendrisio and Genestrerio, on the Mendrisio-Chiasso cantonal road, at the S. Martino fork toward Melide, and on the main roads in central Lugano.

Rear-end collision on the A2 in Coldrerio: 73-year-old seriously injured

Di Redazione Frontaliere Ticino · Published on 3 October 2026

Traffic and emergency response on the A2 in Coldrerio after a car hit a truck

Car crashes into a truck stopped in the emergency lay-by on the A2 in Coldrerio: 68-year-old woman slightly injured, 73-year-old passenger in life-threatening condition.

Context

In brief

Serious accident in the afternoon on the A2 in Coldrerio
Car crashes into truck in the emergency lay-by
The 73-year-old passenger is in life-threatening condition
The 68-year-old driver sustained minor injuries

Key facts

Location → A2, southbound, Coldrerio area
Vehicles → car and truck stopped in the emergency lay-by
Driver → 68-year-old Swiss woman, resident in the canton of Zurich
Passenger → 73-year-old Swiss man, resident in the canton of Zurich
Update → 17:45

In the afternoon, on highway 2 southbound in the Coldrerio area, a car rear-ended a truck stopped at the side of the roadway, in the emergency lay-by. For reasons yet to be established, the circumstances of the rear-end collision have not been clarified. The initial information was collected by Rescue Media and then confirmed by the Cantonal Police.

The car was being driven by a 68-year-old Swiss woman residing in the canton of Zurich, who sustained minor injuries. A 73-year-old Swiss man, also residing in the canton of Zurich, was in the vehicle as a passenger. The man's injuries were serious and life-threatening.

The initial account reported by the source therefore speaks of two injured people, with different outcomes for the driver and the passenger. The time reference indicated in the report is the afternoon, while the article update is marked at 17:45.

The accident occurred along the southbound carriageway of the A2, in the Coldrerio area. The truck was stopped at the side of the roadway, in the emergency lay-by; the car rear-ended it for reasons that remain to be established. The report distinctly describes the condition of the two occupants: minor injuries for the driver and serious, life-threatening injuries for the passenger.

Operational details

Rescue operations and transfers

Officers from the Polizia cantonale arrived at the scene. The Pompieri del Mendrisiotto arrived to provide support. The operation also involved rescuers from the Servizio Autoambulanza Mendrisiotto, referred to in the source by the acronym SAM, and Rega.

After providing first aid to the driver and the passenger, the rescuers arranged two separate transfers to the hospital. The woman was transported by ambulance; the passenger, however, was flown by helicopter. Rega's presence is mentioned in connection with the transport of the passenger and the operations required for the helicopter to land.

To allow the rescue operations and the helicopter landing, the A2 motorway was temporarily closed. Traffic subsequently resumed, channelled into a single lane.

The sequence reported is therefore precise: the Polizia cantonale, Pompieri del Mendrisiotto, SAM and Rega arrived at the scene; first aid was provided; the two injured people were then transported by different means. The temporary closure of the motorway was in place for the rescue operations and the helicopter landing, before traffic switched to a single lane.

Key points

Traffic heading south

The Polizia cantonale advised against travelling on the A2 or on roads heading south. The advice was issued in an update on the accident, which described traffic as completely congested at several points in the Mendrisiotto and Lugano areas.

The report does not identify a single critical point. Instead, it lists several routes:

all roads between Mendrisio and Genestrerio;
the cantonal road between Mendrisio and Chiasso;
the S. Martino fork towards Melide;
in Lugano, the main roads in the city centre.

The temporary closure of the A2 and the subsequent channelling of traffic into a single lane are reported together with the operations required for the rescue efforts and the helicopter landing. As regards traffic, the source notes that congestion also affected the connections identified by the police between Mendrisio, Chiasso, Genestrerio, Melide and Lugano.

The police advice still applies to the entire route southbound, not just the section of the A2 affected by the rear-end collision. The available information describes widespread traffic congestion, with traffic completely congested on the routes listed. The update also specifies the operational progression: the motorway was closed for rescue activities, and traffic was then channelled into one lane.

Source: ticinonews.ch

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did the accident on the A2 occur?: The rear-end collision occurred in the afternoon on Highway 2, also known as A2, heading south and in the territory of Coldrerio. For reasons yet to be established, the car rear-ended a truck stopped on the side of the carriageway, in the emergency bay. The first information was gathered by Rescue Media and then confirmed by the Cantonal Police.
Who are the injured people?: At the wheel was a 68-year-old Swiss woman residing in the canton of Zurich, who sustained minor injuries. The passenger was a 73-year-old Swiss man, also residing in the canton of Zurich. His injuries were serious and life-threatening. The source therefore reports two people injured in the rear-end collision.
Which emergency services intervened?: Agents from the cantonal police, the Mendrisiotto Fire Brigade, and rescuers from the Servizio Autoambulanza Mendrisiotto arrived at the scene, along with Rega. After receiving first aid, the driver was transported by ambulance, while the passenger was taken to hospital by helicopter.
How has traffic changed?: To allow rescue operations and the helicopter to land, the A2 was temporarily closed. Subsequently, traffic was routed into a single lane. The cantonal police advised against travelling on the A2 or on roads heading south, reporting completely congested traffic between Mendrisio and Genestrerio, on the Mendrisio-Chiasso cantonal road, at the S. Martino fork toward Melide, and on the main roads in central Lugano.