Former Arsenal Goalkeeper Alex Manninger Dies in Train Crash at 48

Former Arsenal and Liverpool goalkeeper Alex Manninger died at age 48 on Thursday morning after his car was struck by a train at a level crossing near Nussdorf am Haunsberg in Austria's Salzburg region.

The accident occurred around 8:20 a.m. at the Pabing crossing on the Salzburg local railway line. According to police, Manninger's Volkswagen minivan was hit by the oncoming train and dragged several meters along the tracks. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle. Emergency responders, including the Red Cross and local firefighters, arrived quickly and freed him from the wreckage. They performed CPR and used a defibrillator, but paramedics and an emergency physician were unable to resuscitate him. The train driver and about 25 passengers aboard escaped unharmed.

An investigation by the public prosecutor's office is underway to determine the exact circumstances. Forensic expert Gerhard Kronreif, appointed to the case, noted that electronic data from the minivan could reveal the driver's actions leading up to the collision. Officials also plan to examine the train's records and the functionality of the crossing's warning signals, including whether the red light activated in time....