A Scotland fan who went to Germany to watch the European Championships suffered a broken back in a serious car crash, as police suggested he was on the wrong side of the road.
Gary Elis, from Dundee, was one of six people injured in the two-car accident near Weeze Airport just after midnight on Thursday, June 13. The 23-year-old had been travelling with mates to the Euros when their hired Citroen C3 collided head-on with an S-class Mercedes, the Daily Record reported. He is currently in a serious condition, with the driver of the car.
Emergency crews including four ambulances rushed to the scene early on Friday morning after the smash. Gary’s mother Mandy Coleman said on social media: “Our son has been involved in an accident in Germany and we are currently making arrangements to get out there to be with him."
German police said their car had been travelling on the wrong side of the road. The driver of the Mercedes, a German national from Düsseldorf also suffered minor injuries.
A German Police spokesperson said: "Based on the investigations as part of the accident report, it is suspected the Scottish driver used the wrong lane due to the left-hand traffic in his home country. The driver of the Citroen and a 23-year-old passenger were seriously injured in the accident, while the driver of the Daimler-Benz and three other people in the Citroen were slightly injured.
“A 25-year-old Scotsman was travelling with four other men from Scotland (25, 23, 23 and 23 years old) in a rental car, a Citroen C3, after arriving at the airport to travel on to Düsseldorf. The five men were a group of friends who had travelled to Germany for UEFA EURO 2024. On the way from the terminal towards the exit, the man from Scotland drove into the lane for oncoming traffic.
“This resulted in a head-on collision with a Mercedes Benz S-Class driven by a 45-year-old man from Düsseldorf who was travelling towards the terminal. All of the people were taken to various hospitals in the region by the emergency services. The Citroen was seized to protect the property.”
A GoFundMe page has been launched to pay for Gary's medical bills. It read: "Gary was travelling to Germany to Watch Scotland with a group of mates when they were involved in a head on collision after landing in Germany. Gary's injuries have resulted in him having a broken back and currently in hospital in Germany where they are waiting to see what is the best way to treat him and for getting him back home.
"All funds will go to help take the stress off Gary’s family and his girlfriend Kiera along with helping Gary on his recovery when he lands back on home land as recovery for him may take some time."
Pictures from the scene showed multiple crews treating casualties on the road and on grass by the side of the carriageway. At least one fan can be seen in a kilt and wearing a tartan hat. All six people involved were taken to local hospitals.
A FCDO Spokesperson said: “We are supporting a number of British nationals following an incident in Germany and are in contact with the local authorities.”