Scotland fan in German hospital after arriving from Edinburgh and 'taking wrong lane'

A Tartan Army fan is hospitalised in Germany with a broken back following a terrifying car crash while en route to the European Championship.

Gary Ellis, 23, from Dundee, began his journey from Edinburgh Airport towards Dusseldorf with four pals on Thursday, eager to cheer on Scotland in the Euros.

The incident occurred just past midnight when their hired Citroen C3 collided head-on with an S-class Mercedes outside Weeze Airport. Both Ellis and the driver, aged 25, have been left with serious injuries and remain in hospital care.

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German police detailed that the Scots took the "wrong lane" after leaving the airport in their rental vehicle which led them straight into oncoming traffic.

His family has since flocked to his side for support as he continues receiving treatment at the hospital, reports the Daily Record.

With hopes of raising £10,000 to manage Ellis' medical expenses and transport back home, his close mate Graham Pert has launched a GoFundMe campaign.

Displaying the distressing situation, the campaign description reads: "Gary was travelling to Germany to Watch Scotland with a group of mates when they were involved in a head on collision after landing in Germany. Gary's injuries have resulted in him having a broken back and currently in hospital in Germany where they are waiting to see what is the best way to treat him and for getting him back home."

"All funds will go to help take the stress off Gary's family and his girlfriend Kiera along with helping Gary on his recovery when he lands back on home land as recovery for him may take some time."

From his hospital bed, Gary responded to the outpouring of support, saying: "Thanks everyone for all the messages and Graham for setting this up for me and my family. Hopefully I will get back to Dundee soon."

In the early hours of Friday, four ambulances rushed to the scene. Images from the site showed Scotland flags and suitcases being retrieved from the wreckage.

Men clad in kilts were visible behind the vehicles.

Three other Scots, all aged 23, who were passengers in the hire car sustained minor injuries. The driver of the Mercedes, a 45 year old German national, also suffered minor injuries.

A spokesperson for the German Police informed The Record: "On Friday, June 14 at 00.10am, a traffic accident occurred on the airport ring in Weeze."

"A 25-year-old Scotsman was travelling with four other men from Scotland (aged 25, 23, 23 and 23 years old) in a rental car, a Citroen C3, after arriving at the airport to travel on to Dusseldorf."

"The five men were a group of friends who had travelled to Germany for UEFA EURO 2024. On the way from the terminal towards the exit, the man from Scotland drove in the lane for oncoming traffic."

"This resulted in a head-on collision with a Mercedes Benz S-Class driven by a 45 year old man from Dusseldorf who was travelling towards the terminal."

"The driver of the Citroen and a 23-year-old passenger were seriously injured in the accident. The three other people in the Citroen and the driver of the Mercedes were slightly injured."

They commented: "Based on the investigations as part of the accident report, it is suspected that the Scottish driver used the wrong lane due to the left-hand traffic in his home country."

"All of the people were taken to various hospitals in the region by the emergency services. The Citroen was seized to protect the property."

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