Johannes Lochner claimed the overnight lead in the Olympic four-man bob event ahead of two other German teams after opening runs overshadowed by the Austrian team crashing on Saturday.
The bob of pilot Jakob Mandelbauer topped in turn nine during the second run. His three team members were able to leave the track on their own but Mandelbauer was taken away on a stretcher.
Austrian team officials said that Mandelbauer hurt his neck and would be transferred to hospital for examinations.
The second run was interrupted for around 20 minutes before Lochner consolidated his first run lead with his team of Thorsten Margis, Jörn Wenzel and Georg Fleischhauer en route to a possible two-and four-man double.
Lochner is .43 seconds ahead of 2018 and 2022 winner Francesco Friedrich and it could be the same podium as in the two-man as the third German team of Adam Ammour rose from fifth to third, 12-hundredths ahead of Swiss Michael Vogt.
“It was a really great one, the first. The second one we had problems, especially at the start and in the middle part of the track. In the end, we are really happy with the result right now," Lochner said.
Looking at the crashes, which also befell France and Trinidad and Tobago, he added: “It’s a race sport, it’s part of the game. We hope that all the guys are healthy and nothing big happened to the guys.
“It’s a hard track when there’s so much ice. But I think it’s possible tomorrow no one crashes, and we can have a nice ending for all,” he said, referring to Sunday's final two runs.