Driver investigated after deadly Graubünden coach crash

Five people died and 40 others were injured when a coach carrying a Dutch tour group crashed in the Engadin on September 10. The vehicle was travelling from Zernez to Susch in canton Graubünden when it veered off the road near the village of Less and tipped onto its side.

The Office of the Attorney General of canton Graubünden has now opened criminal proceedings against the driver. Prosecutors are investigating multiple allegations of negligent manslaughter and negligent bodily harm. The proceedings establish the direction of the inquiry, not a finding of guilt. Swiss investigators will determine how the crash occurred and whether the driver’s conduct breached the duties expected of a professional coach operator.

All 45 Dutch nationals on board were affected by the accident. The driver was also injured. Prosecutors have not disclosed his medical condition or said where he is currently located. The crash took place in a remote Alpine setting, where emergency services faced the immediate task of reaching a large number of injured people on a mountain road.

The driver faces two categories of alleged negligence. Graubünden prosecutors suspect him of multiple counts of causing death through negligence and multiple counts of causing bodily harm through negligence. The wording reflects the number of people killed and injured in the crash, while the investigation will establish the specific circumstances behind each allegation.

Authorities have released no conclusions about speed, road conditions, vehicle condition, visibility or the driver’s actions before the coach left the road. Those details remain subject to the criminal inquiry. The prosecutor’s office has also not provided information about the driver’s condition or current whereabouts, limiting what can responsibly be said about the next procedural steps.

The route between Zernez and Susch crosses the Upper Engadin and Lower Engadin region, an area where roads run through steep terrain and settlements are separated by long stretches of Alpine landscape. The crash has placed attention on the risks involved when large tourist vehicles navigate mountain roads, but the case must be assessed on evidence collected by Swiss authorities rather than assumptions based on the location alone.

Hospitals in several Swiss cantons and neighbouring Austria treated survivors after the crash. The injured passengers suffered a range of injuries, from minor to serious, according to Graubünden cantonal police. The driver was among those injured, although officials have not published further medical details.

The scale of the incident prompted a response from Dutch authorities. Officials travelled to the Engadin and met people affected by the crash, while Dutch ambassador to Bern Karin Mössenlechner visited survivors on September 11. The diplomatic engagement came as families and medical teams dealt with the consequences of an accident involving an entire organised tour group.

For Swiss hospitals and emergency services, the response extended beyond the crash scene. Patients were distributed across borders and cantons, requiring coordination between local authorities, medical institutions and Dutch representatives. The public information released so far focuses on the casualty figures and the legal investigation. Personal details about the dead and injured have not been disclosed in the available reports.

The next phase will turn a devastating crash into an evidence-led case. Graubünden prosecutors must establish the sequence of events before the coach overturned near Less and assess whether the driver’s conduct meets the legal threshold for negligent offences. That work can include technical examinations, witness accounts and reconstruction of the vehicle’s movement, although the prosecutor’s office has not announced the full investigative programme.

The case also carries practical significance for Switzerland’s Alpine transport network. Graubünden receives large numbers of visitors by road, and coaches regularly connect towns, resorts and railway hubs across mountain valleys. Every serious crash involving a tour bus tests the readiness of emergency services, the coordination of hospitals and the ability of authorities to communicate with foreign families and governments.

No timetable for the investigation has been given. The driver remains the subject of allegations, and the available information does not establish responsibility. The confirmed record is stark: five people died, 40 were injured and 45 Dutch nationals were on board. Further findings from the Graubünden authorities will determine how the crash is understood in court and by the public.