to have an accident
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to have an accident
To suffer an accident in which one is injured or killed. Often refers to traffic, workplace, or leisure accidents.
Auf der Autobahn ist gestern Abend ein LKW-Fahrer tödlich verunglückt.
A truck driver had a fatal accident on the highway yesterday evening.
The verb 'verunglücken' (to have an accident) is derived from the noun 'das Unglück' (accident, misfortune). The prefix 'ver-' turns it into a verb that describes the process of suffering an accident.
Ein Unglück kommt selten allein.
Misfortunes never come singly.
Since 'verunglücken' (to have an accident) describes a sudden, uncontrollable change of state, the perfect tense is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be). So you say 'er ist verunglückt' (he has had an accident / he was in an accident).
Die Bergsteigerin ist gestern in den Alpen verunglückt.
The mountaineer had an accident in the Alps yesterday.
The verb is often made more precise by adverbs that describe the outcome of the accident. The most common are 'tödlich verunglücken' (to die in an accident) and 'schwer verunglücken' (to be seriously injured in an accident).
Bei dem Zugunglück sind mehrere Menschen schwer verunglückt.
Several people were seriously injured in the train accident.
to crash / crack
'krachen' and 'verunglücken' can both have to do with an accident. 'krachen' describes the violent collision itself, often with a loud noise. For example, you can say that a car 'gegen einen Baum kracht' (crashes into a tree). 'verunglücken', on the other hand, describes that a person has an accident and is injured or even killed. It sounds more serious and focuses on the person affected. If you are describing the impact, 'krachen' fits. If you are saying that someone had an accident, 'verunglücken' is more precise.
Auf der nassen Straße ist ein Radfahrer schwer verunglückt.
A cyclist had a serious accident on the wet road.
Nach der Arbeit krachte die Fahrerin mit dem Wagen gegen einen Zaun.
After work, the driver crashed the car into a fence.