A camper driver who failed to brake for a traffic queue on Germany's A9 motorway triggered a multi-vehicle pile-up on Friday evening that left 34 people injured near Bad Lobenstein in the state of Thuringia.
The motorhome crashed into the rear of stopped traffic and drove onto the emergency lane without slowing, setting off a chain collision that damaged nine vehicles. Among them were two minibuses carrying 11 children with special needs and eight accompanying carers.
Police estimated the material damage at around 350,000 euros. The A9 was closed in both directions for more than five hours following the crash, which occurred on 25 July 2026.