Student Seriously Injured In High-Speed Smash Into Tree

A 19-year-old British student who was seriously injured in a terrifying high-speed crash into a tree riding a sledge down a mountain at night is being treated in hospital.

Experts say the sledge ran out of control when a frost formed an icy crust on the snow at Mittelberg, Austria, as the student and five friends hurtled down the unlit slope.

Rescuers told local media the teen was unconscious and unresponsive when they got to him after the midnight crash, reported on 29th December.

The student, not named due to local privacy laws, was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Kempten.

A team of 25 rescuers from Mittelberg-Hirschegg Mountain Rescue Service and the Mittelberg fire brigade had been involved in finding the crash site.

It is unclear how badly injured the other five crash victims were.

The region is known for its ski resorts and pristine Alpine scenery. With Mittelberg located at 1,200 metres (3,937 feet).