Around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, December 11, my little daughter and I ended up stuck in traffic. We had just picked her up from school, and what should have been a quick drive home turned into a real test of patience. Traffic came to a complete standstill. My two older kids were still on the bus – and a ride that normally takes under ten minutes turned into a slow crawl home. Hours later, the sound of sirens was still hanging over the area as first responders kept working without a break. Only the next morning did the full picture become clear: on the A46 near Haan, a crash at 1:50 p.m. had brought the entire region to a halt for more than sixteen hours.
The crash: A lane change with serious consequences
An electric semi‑truck hauling hazardous materials moved from the right lane into the center lane for reasons that are still unclear. In that center lane was a 59‑year‑old driver in a Seat Leon. He swerved left to avoid the truck, hit the concrete barrier, and the truck followed, drifting left as well, slamming into the concrete divider and tipping over onto its right side. All three lanes of the A46 were blocked.
Both drivers managed to get out on their own and suffered only minor injuries. That was the bit of luck in an otherwise very unlucky day. But while countless people sat stuck in traffic, a dangerous situation was unfolding at the crash site – one that could only be brought under control through tight coordination and professional teamwork.
The battery fire: A new kind of challenge for firefighters
The electric truck immediately caught fire in the area of its high‑voltage battery. That is a major issue for fire departments: a battery fire in a modern EV is a completely different beast than a classic gas or diesel fire. The battery burns much hotter and longer and releases toxic gases as it does. It is a technical problem that cannot be solved by just spraying some water on it.
The Haan Fire Department reacted quickly and professionally. They called in mutual aid from surrounding departments – and what followed was an impressive large‑scale operation. Within a short time, units from Erkrath, Hilden, Langenfeld, Mettmann, and Monheim arrived on scene. They set up a dedicated water supply task force to make sure there was enough water for firefighting. Tanker engines were shuttling back and forth nonstop. The Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) provided scene lighting, and the German Red Cross (DRK) supported people who were stuck in the traffic jam.
One thing that really stood out was the COBRA high‑pressure system from the Ratingen Fire Department, a specialized firefighting tool that injects high‑pressure water directly into the burning battery modules to cool them from the inside. The fact that such specialized equipment was requested and actually deployed says a lot about the high level of cooperation and professionalism among the various fire departments.
Even so, sirens could be heard until shortly before midnight. That gives you an idea of how long and how hard the crews had to work to cool the battery pack and stabilize the situation. This was anything but a routine call.
The second risk: Hazardous materials on board
On top of the battery fire, there was another issue. The semi was hauling hazardous materials – and not just any load, but two highly dangerous chemicals:
- UN 2290 – Isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI): A toxic chemical used as a raw material for polyurethane coatings and paints. It is highly irritating to skin, eyes, and the respiratory tract. Its workplace exposure limit is extremely low, meaning even very small amounts can be harmful.
- UN 2398 – Methyl tert‑butyl ether (MTBE): A highly flammable solvent with a flash point of about –28 °C. It is used as a fuel additive and as a solvent. MTBE vapors are heavier than air and can spread along the ground.
That combination is extremely dangerous: a highly toxic substance plus a highly flammable one – all in the middle of a battery fire that is throwing off intense heat. It is exactly the kind of scenario every fire department dreads.
That is why a specialist advisor from the TUIS system (Transport Accident Information and Emergency Response System) at Chempark Leverkusen was called in. These experts can assess in real time which substances are on board, what reactions are possible, and what measures are needed.
The good news – and it really was pure luck – was that the drums stayed intact. Police later confirmed that the load inside the trailer was not breached. There was no release of isophorone diisocyanate or MTBE. If those drums had ruptured – with chemicals this dangerous – the situation would have escalated dramatically.
Public safety: Warning for the Mahnert area
Because of the burning battery pack and the toxic substances being transported, the Haan Fire Department issued a public warning for residents in the Mahnert area. People were asked to go indoors, keep windows and doors closed, and switch off any ventilation systems.
Roughly a 100‑meter radius around the crash site was evacuated. That may sound extremely cautious at first, but in hazmat incidents this is not an overreaction – it is standard protocol. The fire department handled it exactly the way they should.
Traffic chaos: A 16‑hour shutdown and its ripple effects
From 1:50 p.m. until about 5:45 a.m. (in the direction of Wuppertal) and until around 8:00 a.m. (toward Düsseldorf), the A46 was completely closed in both directions. That is roughly sixteen hours of full shutdown. For thousands of people in the region, that meant one thing: nothing was moving.
The A46 is one of the main traffic arteries in this area. Traffic jams quickly built up all the way to Sonnborner Kreuz toward Wuppertal and to Kreuz Hilden toward Düsseldorf. Detours over local roads were overwhelmed. Anyone who was out and about that Wednesday afternoon in this region ended up stuck.
My two older kids were on the bus – a ride that should have taken ten minutes turned into a very slow and drawn‑out trip home. Families all over the region went through the same thing: students stranded on buses, parents trapped in gridlocked traffic, people sitting in their cars or on buses for hours with no way to get out.
The German Red Cross was out on the A46 providing support to people trapped in the closure area. That shows that a large‑scale incident like this is not only about what happens right at the crash site – it also has to take into account everyone who gets caught up in the fallout.
How I see the work of the first responders
To be honest, the first responders earned nothing but respect for how they handled this – not just on this particular day, but in general. What played out on the A46 was outstanding crisis management under massive pressure. The coordination between multiple fire departments, the use of specialized equipment, the quick identification of the hazardous materials through TUIS, the support organized by the Red Cross for people on the freeway – none of that is automatic. That is highly professional emergency response.
The operation dragged on, and the night was short for everyone involved, but they did what needed to be done: they brought the situation under control, they prevented any release of hazardous substances, and they warned and protected the public.
The questions that remain
Even with such a strong emergency response, some important questions are still open:
Cause of the crash: Why did the driver change lanes? That has not been fully clarified yet. Was it distraction? Fatigue? A technical issue with the truck? A medical emergency? Getting an answer matters if similar wrecks are to be prevented in the future.
Safety of electric trucks: This accident shows that electric semis behave differently in a crash than diesel trucks. A burning battery pack presents fire departments with completely new challenges. How strictly regulated is the transport of highly toxic and highly flammable chemicals on electric truck platforms? Are the current safety standards enough? These are questions that policymakers and the logistics industry have to address.
Worst‑case preparedness: Fortunately, the drums holding the chemicals were not breached. But what if they had been? How prepared are fire departments for a scenario where highly toxic and highly flammable substances are leaking while a battery pack is burning? Those are the kinds of situations that have to be thought through in detail – not to criticize firefighters, but to make sure they are equipped and trained as well as possible.
Friday morning: Traffic starts moving again
On Friday, December 12, at around 5:45 a.m., the lanes toward Wuppertal were reopened. Around 8:00 a.m., traffic toward Düsseldorf started moving again. The semi was ready to be towed, the batteries had cooled sufficiently, and the operation could finally be wrapped up.
What this means for the future
This accident is not just a one‑off incident. It is a sign of several developments coming together at the same time:
- Electrification of freight traffic: More electric semis on the road mean more potential battery fires. Fire departments are learning how to handle them, but these are new and complex challenges.
- Chemical supply chains: Chemicals like isophorone diisocyanate and MTBE are important industrial feedstocks. They have to be transported – with the right safety gear, at the right times, on appropriate routes.
- Traffic congestion: The A46 is chronically overburdened. A single crash on this stretch can quickly turn into a regional traffic meltdown that affects thousands of people.
- Human factors: One lane change, one brief moment of inattention – and suddenly an entire region is in emergency mode.
Bringing all these aspects together is the task facing policymakers, industry, and transportation authorities in the coming years. How can we make the transport of dangerous goods safer? How do we prepare fire departments for EV battery fires? How do we reduce the strain on major routes like the A46?
Those are the questions raised by that Wednesday afternoon. And the first responders showed that day that they are ready and able to manage crises like this – even when the night is long and the challenges are enormous.
Sources
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