10 May 2019; DW: A runaway truck whose driver had died at the wheel was brought to a halt on the German Autobahn by another daring driver and police. Other truck drivers took measures to protect nearby road users.
A courageous truck driver and police joined forces on Wednesday evening to bring a runaway 40-ton vehicle to a halt on the German Autobahn, police said.
The articulated truck, whose 54-year-old driver had collapsed and died at the wheel, was seen to be crashing repeatedly against the cement median barrier on the A1 highway near the western city of Cologne as it continued rolling at 15 kilometers (9 miles) per hour.
Several truck drivers blocked other road users from approaching the uncontrolled vehicle from behind, while another truck driver and a car driver ran alongside it and attempted to smash the passenger window.
Police praise
Police then arrived in a patrol van and used their vehicle to slow the truck. The 43-year-old truck driver climbed up to the windshield of the driverless truck from the back bumper of the police car, smashed the glass with a window hammer and clambered into the cabin, where he managed to bring the vehicle to a stop.
All help came too late for the driver who had died, with a medic who came to the scene only able to confirm his decease.
The 43-year-old suffered cut wounds that were treated at the scene, police said, praising the man's bravery.
