Burning Truck Causes Major A7 Highway Disruption, No Injuries Reported
A burning tractor-trailer caused significant disruption on the A7 highway on Tuesday morning. No injuries were reported, but the incident resulted in substantial property damage estimated to be in the high five-figure range.
The incident occurred around 6:30 AM between the Fulda-Nord and Rotkopf rest areas. The 47-year-old driver managed to stop the vehicle and decouple the tractor, but the fire spread to the trailer and its cargo. The trailer, carrying 21 tons of worktops, caught fire due to a technical malfunction in the axle area. The driver, a 73-year-old Bulgarian man, was able to escape unharmed.
Firefighting efforts led to a full highway closure for approximately 1.5 hours. The highway authority diverted traffic at the Fulda-Nord exit while emergency services worked to extinguish the blaze. The extent and duration of recovery operations are currently unknown.
The A7 highway has since reopened with traffic being guided past the scene. Despite the significant property damage, no injuries were reported, and the driver was able to escape safely. The cause of the fire has been attributed to a technical malfunction in the axle area.
