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A car collided with a herd of wild boars on the Larissa–Trikala highway near Pineiada in central Greece on Monday evening, October 12, leaving the driver uninjured but causing significant property damage. Authorities cleared the roadway and traffic resumed in about an hour, according to eyewitness accounts and photographs from the scene. This report was updated on Oct. 13.
The crash happened on a two-lane section of the national road connecting Larissa and Trikala, two of the largest cities in the Thessaly region. A group of boars moved out of a scrub-covered hillside and tried to cross toward the farm fields lining the route, witnesses said. The driver, heading toward Trikala, braked but could not avoid the animals.
The impact scattered several boars across both lanes, creating a sudden obstacle for other traffic. Photographs from the scene show the animals lying on the pavement, the damaged car pulled onto the shoulder, and vehicles lined up in both directions. No other cars were involved, according to police.
Patrol officers and highway maintenance crews reached the scene shortly after the first calls, according to local reports. They set up a temporary slowdown while the boars were removed from the carriageway. It has not been confirmed how many animals were in the herd or whether any survived the collision. The driver, whose name was not released, declined medical attention at the scene; the vehicle later had to be towed to a garage.
The road remained partially blocked for roughly an hour while the cleanup was completed. By late evening, traffic had returned to normal, and a police officer at the scene told local media that no further animals had been spotted in the immediate area. The driver was expected to file an insurance claim for the damage.
The incident is the latest in a steady pattern of wildlife-vehicle crashes on rural roads in central Greece. Wild boar populations have climbed noticeably over the past decade, and the animals have become more comfortable venturing close to villages and highways. The Thessaly plain, with its blend of cropland, irrigation canals, and scattered woodland, is one of the most affected regions.
The Larissa–Trikala corridor is a known hotspot. Most of the route near Pineiada has not been upgraded to modern motorway standards, meaning there are no wildlife fences or underpasses to steer animals away. In autumn, boars feed heavily before winter, making nighttime crossings even more frequent. That combination of busy two-lane roads and active wildlife helps explain the recurring crashes.
Wildlife specialists note that boars are especially dangerous for motorists. Their eyes sit low and reflect little light at night, so the animals are easy to miss until the last moment. They also travel in groups and panic unpredictably, running in several directions rather than freezing like deer. In parts of central Europe, boars are the single most common animal involved in road accidents, and Greece is increasingly seeing a similar trend.
Authorities have focused mainly on driver awareness. Earlier this year, Greek traffic police issued advice for driving on rural roads: reduce speed, use high beams where possible, and avoid violent swerves to dodge an animal. A sharp swerve can cause a rollover, a head-on collision, or a slide into a ditch — injuries from those crashes are usually far worse than hitting the animal itself.
For local farmers, the boars are a familiar nuisance well before they reach the asphalt. The same herds move through corn, wheat, and cotton fields around Pineiada, and growers in the Larissa and Karditsa areas have repeatedly reported crop losses. Compensation requests have fueled disputes between landowners and regional authorities, which say the animals are protected and can be culled only under specific permits.
Regional officials have discussed wildlife corridors and controlled feeding zones to keep boars away from roads and farmland. None have been built on this stretch of the highway so far, and the latest crash could renew pressure for action. Motorists who hit wild game on Greek roads are not automatically considered at fault, and comprehensive insurance usually covers the repairs, though obtaining a police report before leaving the scene is essential for the claim.
Road safety organizations in Greece repeat the same message: slow down at dusk and dawn, scan the shoulders, and stay in control. If boars are visible ahead, ease off the accelerator and let them pass, since horns rarely change their behavior.
If a crash becomes unavoidable, the recommended approach is to brake firmly in a straight line, hold the wheel steady, and keep seat belts fastened. After a collision, drivers should switch on hazard lights, move to the side if possible, and call the emergency number 112. Approaching a wounded boar is highly dangerous; officials advise staying inside the vehicle until help arrives. Photographs of the scene can also speed up insurance paperwork.
The roadway was fully open by Tuesday morning, and police reported no further wildlife-related incidents overnight. For the driver, the damage was limited to property. For the region, the crash adds to a familiar debate over how to share the roads with a growing wild boar population — a discussion that is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
