Three people have died in a series of accidents on Autobahn 1 near Osnabrück.

The chaos began with a collision between a car and a truck, after which the car's three occupants exited the vehicle.

One was fatally struck by another car, while the other two fled the scene and remain missing.

Police are investigating possible criminal links after finding balaclavas in the car.

The initial crash caused a traffic jam, leading to two more fatal accidents.

A truck driver died after failing to notice the traffic standstill, and later, a woman lost her life when her car collided with another truck.

The highway remains closed, with traffic being rerouted.

Authorities urge anyone spotting injured individuals in the area to contact the police immediately.