On Friday afternoon, recovery operations concluded on the A3 motorway near Limburg for a multi-tonne truck-trailer combination that had veered off the road overnight. According to police, bad weather delayed the operation, but it did not require lane closures. The truck was towed across fields. The cause of the accident remains undetermined.

Recovery Work Completed

The recovery of the heavy vehicle concluded on Friday afternoon. According to police, the vehicle was dragged across fields, which allowed the avoidance of a motorway closure.

Delay Due to Weather

Earlier, bad weather conditions – wet ground – prevented a swift operation and significantly extended the duration of the work.

Course of the Incident

Overnight, the truck-trailer combination veered to the right off the carriageway of the A3 heading towards Cologne and drove into a field. The cause of the incident is unknown.

No Traffic Disruptions

As emphasised, during the operation, there was no necessity to close any lanes of the A3 motorway, which prevented serious traffic jams.

On Friday, 21 February 2026, the operation to remove a multi-tonne truck-trailer combination that had crashed off the A3 motorway overnight near the German city of Limburg was completed. According to police information, the vehicle was ultimately dragged across adjacent fields, allowing the operation to proceed without the need to block traffic on this important route. Earlier morning reports indicated a significant delay in the recovery operation due to bad weather conditions. Wet and muddy ground prevented equipment from safely reaching the site and beginning the towing. „Wegen der nassen Wetterverhältnisse kann ein Lastwagen auf der Autobahn 3 bei Limburg nicht rasch geborgen werden.” — Polizeisprecher Police reported that due to the wet weather, the truck on the A3 motorway near Limburg could not be recovered quickly. The situation improved during the day, enabling the work to be finished. 1 — The motorway lane did not need to be closed The A3 motorway (Bundesautobahn 3) is one of Germany's most important and longest motorways, stretching approximately 770 kilometres. It runs from the border with the Netherlands in a south-easterly direction, through the Ruhr area, Frankfurt am Main, Würzburg, Nuremberg, up to the border with Austria, serving as a key transport artery in the heart of Europe. According to police sources, the incident occurred overnight on the section heading towards Cologne. The vehicle veered to the right off the carriageway and became stuck in a field. The cause of the accident has not yet been determined. Specialists in towing heavy vehicles worked on site. The lack of necessity to close the motorway meant that travelers on the A3 did not experience major disruptions, aside from possible slowdowns in the immediate vicinity of the incident.

Mentioned People

  • Polizeisprecher — Police spokesperson informing about progress in the vehicle recovery operation.