Serious accident on the A2 in Coldrerio

Context

In brief

• Accident on Friday shortly before 15.30 on the A2 in Coldrerio
• A car rear-ended a stationary articulated lorry in the emergency bay
• The 73-year-old passenger was taken to hospital by helicopter
• The A2 was closed and then reduced to one lane

Key facts

• Location → A2, southbound, Coldrerio area
• Time → Friday, shortly before 15.30
• Driver → 68-year-old Swiss woman, resident in the Canton of Zurich
• Passenger → 73-year-old Swiss man, resident in the Canton of Zurich
• Conditions → woman slightly injured; man in serious condition
• Traffic → temporary closure, then traffic on one lane
• Responders → SAM, REGA, firefighters and cantonal police

The initial account of the accident

On Friday afternoon, shortly before 15.30, a serious accident occurred on the A2 motorway in the southbound direction, in the Coldrerio area. The cantonal police reported that a 68-year-old Swiss woman, resident in the Canton of Zurich, rear-ended an articulated lorry stopped beside the carriageway, in the emergency bay. The causes of the collision will have to be established by the investigation.

Also travelling in the car was a 73-year-old Swiss passenger, likewise resident in the Canton of Zurich. After initial treatment, both were taken to hospital. The woman was taken by ambulance with minor injuries. The man, however, was transported by helicopter in serious condition; his life is in danger.

To allow rescue operations and the landing of the REGA helicopter, the carriageway was temporarily closed. Subsequently, traffic was funnelled into a single lane. The measure had a very significant impact on traffic.

The involvement of two people required two separate transports, by ambulance for the driver and by helicopter for the passenger. The difference in the modes of transport corresponds to the conditions reported by the police: minor injuries for the woman, serious condition for the man.

The rescue operation involved SAM rescuers, a REGA helicopter, firefighters from the Mendrisiotto rescue centre and the cantonal police. The investigation will have to establish the causes of the rear-end collision.

Operational details

Traffic difficulties in the Mendrisiotto

The temporary closure of the motorway and the subsequent reduction to a single lane had very significant consequences for traffic. At 5 p.m., the police advised against setting off southbound. The warning was issued while rescue operations had already affected mobility in the area.

The roads affected

According to Viasuisse, in the late afternoon traffic was completely congested on all roads between Mendrisio and Genestrerio. The situation did not affect only the motorway route: the report also included the cantonal road between Mendrisio and Chiasso, the San Martino fork toward Melide and, in Lugano, the main roads in the city center.

Viasuisse’s reports therefore covered a series of different connections: the stretch between the two centers of the Mendrisiotto, the cantonal road toward Chiasso, the road at the San Martino fork in the direction of Melide and the central streets of Lugano. All these points were completely congested in the late afternoon.

The picture provided by Viasuisse shows that the repercussions were not concentrated solely at the site of the accident. The closure and the switch to one lane affected traffic in several areas, while the police advice at 5 p.m. urged people to avoid traveling south.

The situation then improved after 8 p.m. This is the latest time-based update reported by the source on traffic conditions, following the congestion reported in the late afternoon.

Key points

The investigation remains open

The aftermath of the operation

The aftermath of the accident remains linked to the investigation into how it happened. The cantonal police indicated that it will have to establish the reasons why the motorist rear-ended the articulated lorry stopped in the emergency lay-by. The essential details of the reconstruction thus remain established: the collision occurred on the A2, heading south, in the territory of Coldrerio, with a heavy vehicle stopped at the side of the carriageway. The investigation will have to clarify the sequence of events that led to the collision.

The operational follow-up is already defined by the sequence of the rescue efforts. After receiving initial treatment, the two people were taken to hospital: the woman by ambulance and the man by helicopter. To allow the rescue operation and the landing of the REGA helicopter, the carriageway was temporarily closed; later, traffic was channelled into a single lane. SAM rescuers, the REGA helicopter, firefighters from the Mendrisiotto rescue centre and the cantonal police attended the scene.

The medical situation reported for the passenger also remains: the 73-year-old man was transported by helicopter in serious condition and his life is in danger. The 68-year-old woman, on the other hand, was taken to hospital by ambulance with minor injuries. The police statement therefore distinguishes between two different outcomes and leaves the follow-up of the investigation into how the accident happened open.

Source: rsi.ch