On Tuesday around 11:30 AM on Gustav Zemgals Street in Riga, a traffic jam stretching three and a half kilometers formed. Police officers had to block traffic towards the center for an hour to pull a BMW out of the ditch. Despite the fact that the car landed on its roof, the driver did not sustain serious injuries and got out of the crumpled car even before the services arrived. However, rescuers had to work hard to pull the car out, reports the Degpunktā program (TV3).
On Gustav Zemgals Street heading towards the center, State Police officers blocked the entire roadway so that rescuers could quickly and unobstructedly pull the BMW that had crashed into the ditch. Despite the fact that the car landed on its roof, the driver remained safe and sound. He was, as usual, on his way to work, but as he approached the right edge of the lane, he drove onto the snow that had been piled on the shoulder, the car skidded, and he lost control.
"I tried to brake, steer, but it didn’t respond and immediately — into the ditch. (Degpunktā: Were you very scared?) I didn’t have time. (Degpunktā: When you came to your senses, you were already…) I was already there, yes. I immediately thought about how to get out as quickly as possible," says the driver Andrei.
Soon, water that had accumulated in the ditch began to flow into the cabin. The man unbuckled his seatbelt and, in shock, tried to get out himself, but it turned out to be not easy.
When asked how long he had to wait for help, he replied: "About five minutes, I guess. I wanted to break the glass with my hands and feet, but it didn’t work — I hit and hit, but nothing. (Degpunktā: Did others who stopped to help break the glass or how did you get out?) No, they managed to open the back door. That’s how I got out. (Degpunktā: Did you climb out yourself or did they help?) I climbed out myself."
Immediately after this, emergency services arrived at the scene and began to work. When they pulled the car out of the ditch, the trunk opened, and all its contents fell into the water. While the rescuers continued their work, the driver and a friend used a long metal rod to pull out the soaked belongings.
After an hour, the car was put back on its wheels and towed to the shoulder. The traffic jam stretching three and a half kilometers long started moving again, bypassing the accident site in the left lane. The driver had to wait for a tow truck. According to him, the life of the BMW is over — the car will go to scrap.
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