The film opens up as a young prosecutor is handed her toughest assignment: a truck driver charged with reckless driving.
After crashing his semi into a sports car, his rig turns over, gas leaks out, and a fire ensues, shutting down the lights in the long tunnel.
There are several flashbacks, where survivors recall the accident, including a grieving father named Giuseppe Paoletti, portrayed by Flavio Insinna, an Italian family man who is driving his wife and son to Austria, who emotionally describes his account of what happened after the accident.
Der Todestunnel, the original title, is filmed in German with the Italian actors' voices dubbed; the Italian version, 1200º: La Verità della Tunnel della morte, dubs the German actors' voices.
The movie is based on a true story about a catastrophic accident inside the tunnel connecting Austria and Italy.