The fatal curve turns out to be so dangerous

The 18-year-old cyclist fell while going downhill during the World Cup and then lay unnoticed in the forest for an hour and a half. The earth bank that was supposed to make the curve safer didn't help either, as it ended just before that point.

Pascal Ritter/ch media

Today, cemetery candles illuminate the place at night. The forest bend between Schmalzgrueb and Küsnacht has become a memorial site where cyclist Muriel Furrer fell during the junior women's race on 26 September.

During the day, cyclists and drivers stopped to talk. How could this happen? Why here? Gino Mäder's fall during the 2023 Tour of Switzerland is recalled. It was later discovered that this curve was severely underestimated. From organizers and drivers. An almost identical incident occurred two years ago during an amateur race. What about the Furrer's accident curve? What does their history tell us?

For Muriel Furrer, this could be a fatal curve.Image: trapezoid

Two car accidents since 2016

On the slope behind the bend entrance, a black-and-white road sign bears witness to an accident from the past. Federal Roads Office (Astra) maps, which have been showing injury crashes since 2011, show the serious crash happened exactly where Furrer fell. One summer night in 2016, between 2 and 3 a.m., a car skidded. At least one person was seriously injured.

In November 2017, a driver had the best of luck when his car ran off the road near the scene of Fuller's accident. Although the vehicle fell 80 meters toward Kusnacht Tobel, the driver escaped without serious injuries, Züricher Zeitung reported at the time.

At this time, traffic on Schmalzgruebstrasse has increased due to the closure of the more heavily used and developed Limbergstrasse. After the accident, a resident complained about the measure to the Züricher Zeitung newspaper. It is too dangerous to take uninitiated people on narrow and winding roads in winter. When it snows, cars can easily go off the road.

Muriel Furrer might fall into this corner.Image: YouTube

There was no snow when Fuller fell, but it had been raining all day. If you compare this curve with old photos, such as those from Google Street View, you will see that an earthen wall has been built on the right side of the road. At this moment, no car can slide down the slope as easily as it did in 2016.

Fuller likely fell on the exit of the curve, right where the dirt wall ended.

This road is very delicate

Werner Bhend, former president of the Swiss Triathlon, had passed through the road where the accident occurred many times as an athlete. “I reached a top speed of about 80km/h there, but of course the pros were faster and the route wasn't completely closed,” he recalled in an interview with NZZ.

“As organizers, we thought about this passage early on, considered it sensitive and studied it accordingly with the police.” A few years ago, not far from the site, a triathlete Had a bad fall but luckily he survived.

Muriel Furrer was 18 years old when he died. Image: imago-images.de/watson

At the request of this newspaper, Bender detailed the scene of the accident. It is said to be located on the right turn at the entrance to Kuesnacht, far away from the scene of Furel's accident, which was in the forest.

If you compare the accident curve with other places, there have been relatively few accidents there in recent years. However, this passage is tricky because it is narrow and confusing. This can also be seen from on-site inspections. Delicate situations arise again and again. For example, when two cars cross, or because someone lights a candle for Muriel Furrer on the bend. (aargauerzeitung.ch)

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