Overturned truck spills fuel, shuts down A71 motorway lanes for hours
A semi-trailer truck crashed on the A71 motorway early Thursday, causing fuel spillage and road closures. The incident happened near the Stadtilm junction at around 1:45 a.m., with authorities shutting lanes toward Schweinfurt shortly after.
The truck, loaded with 24 tons of cable reels, overturned due to high speed in bad weather. The driver, a 47-year-old Romanian, escaped without injury. However, the crash damaged the fuel tank, leaking diesel across the carriageway.
Emergency crews closed the Schweinfurt-bound lanes and the Stadtilm on-ramp at about 2:50 a.m. Recovery and cleanup efforts are underway, though officials warn the work will take several hours. Early estimates place the total damage at roughly €200,000.
The accident disrupted traffic on a key motorway route. While the driver avoided harm, the spill and overturned vehicle require extensive clearance. No timeline for reopening the affected lanes has been confirmed.
