A serious road crash on the BAB 7 near Bockenem has left one driver badly hurt after two vehicles collided at high speed. The incident happened on 13 November 2026 at 20:18 in the Kassel-bound direction. A 35-year-old man from Northeim and his 67-year-old passenger were driving a VW Golf when, a few hundred metres before the Bockenem junction, the driver allegedly changed from the middle lane to the left at the last moment. Police said he only noticed a car on the left lane at the last second, overcorrected and sent the Golf into the outer guardrail. The car then spun back across all lanes, hit the central barrier and stopped crosswise between the left and middle lanes. A 40-year-old driver in a Skoda Kodiaq from Oettingen, Bavaria, was unable to brake in time and crashed into the left side of the Golf head-on. The Golf driver was seriously injured. The Golf passenger, and two Skoda passengers aged 40 and 26, suffered minor injuries. Both vehicles were not roadworthy and had to be towed. The Bockenem volunteer fire service, five ambulances and an emergency doctor were called to the scene. The Kassel-bound carriageway was fully closed for around one hour for rescue and accident investigation, and a traffic jam of about five kilometres built up. Police also criticised drivers who allegedly failed to stop to offer first aid. They said an unknown driver on the left lane, who they believe must have noticed the crash, and a truck driver did not stop. Separately, after the scene was secured, another truck passed a police officer on the roadside with only about half a metre clearance instead of waiting briefly. That driver was spoken to at an on-site traffic education meeting at the next autobahn service area.