A Polish truck driver who is believed to have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs caused chaos on two highways in western Germany on Saturday, injuring 19 people and damaging scores of vehicles.

One of the eight severely injured people is in critical condition, police said, while the 30-year-old trucker is also being treated at a hospital before he can be interrogated. 

Authorities had originally said 26 people were injured, but they later revised the number down as they obtained more information about the incident. 

What happened in the incident?

Police said they received reports of a truck being driven erratically over the A46 autobahn near the city of Neuss late on Saturday afternoon.

The driver ignored orders to stop issued by highway police, and the truck continued its zigzag course in the region of Wuppertal, they said. Other drivers in the region were called upon to leave highways in the area as fast as possible.

The truck then drove onto the A1 autobahn and changed sides so that it became entangled in oncoming traffic, police said. It then collided with other vehicles and came to a halt, allowing the driver to be arrested.

In all, the ride covered some 60 kilometers (37 miles), police said.

Several closures

Police closed off several parts of the A1 following the incident, with the closures continuing well into Sunday. The A46 was also temporarily closed to traffic.

Eyewitnesses to the incident are being sought.

Investigators said there were indications from tests taken after the driver's arrest that he had imbibed alcohol or taken drugs.

Highways in the region are among the busiest in Germany, with North Rhine-Westphalia being the most-populous state in the country.

tj/wmr (AFP, dpa)

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