car accident
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car accident
An unforeseen event in road traffic in which at least one car is involved and which results in property damage or personal injury.
Gestern gab es auf der Autobahn einen schweren Autounfall mit mehreren Verletzten.
Yesterday there was a serious car accident on the highway with several people injured.
The word is composed of 'Auto' (car) and 'Unfall' (accident). An 'Unfall' is a sudden, harmful event, so 'Autounfall' describes exactly that in connection with a car.
Ein Autounfall ist immer ein schreckliches Ereignis.
A car accident is always a terrible event.
Common verbs used with 'Autounfall' (car accident) are 'einen Autounfall haben' (to have a car accident), 'einen Autounfall verursachen' (to cause a car accident), or 'in einen Autounfall verwickelt sein' (to be involved in a car accident).
Er war in einen leichten Autounfall verwickelt, aber niemand wurde verletzt.
He was involved in a minor car accident, but no one was injured.
To report an accident, the impersonal construction 'Es gab einen Autounfall' (There was a car accident) is often used. This emphasizes the event itself.
Auf der Landstraße gab es einen Autounfall, deshalb ist sie gesperrt.
There was a car accident on the country road, so it is closed.
