Trial in Innsbruck

Woman hit parking lot attendant on the leg with her car

An argument between a skier and a parking lot attendant apparently escalated completely at the beginning of the year in the parking lot of a cable car in the Tyrolean Außerfern. On Monday, a 36-year-old woman had to answer for coercion at Innsbruck Regional Court.

The incident occurred on 20 January when the woman wanted to go skiing with her two children in the car. As she had to wait too long and her - by her own account autistic - son "had to go to the toilet", the 36-year-old decided to break out of the waiting line of cars and drive towards the parking lot.

Defendant's child "freaked out"
 On the way, she was stopped by a parking lot attendant - the manager of the mountain railroad, who was helping out in the parking lot that day. There were heated discussions and her son finally "completely freaked out", the woman explained to Judge Thomas Wallnöfer. She then "drove on slowly", but "never touched" the cable car employee with her car. "I definitely didn't hit him in the shin and he never landed on my hood", she explained.

Victim "hit the hood"
 Instead, the Slovenian citizen incriminated the alleged victim: "He hit the car window and the hood several times." He also told her in an extremely unfriendly manner that she had to go home and that she was "no longer welcome" here, the 36-year-old said.

(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

The manager, who was questioned as a witness, described the situation completely differently. "After our discussion, she suddenly hit me in the shin from behind". He then turned around "very surprised", asked the woman to stop several times, but was repeatedly "slowly" "pushed" by her with the car. When the woman then "really stepped on the gas", he landed on the hood.

Woman got off lightly
Three other witnesses described the situation similarly. There were "discussions", which ended with the manager "landing on the hood". Wallnöfer ultimately agreed with these descriptions and the managing director's account: "The descriptions are credible and agree on the main points". Nevertheless, he opted for a "lenient sentence", especially as he understood the woman's "very stressful situation" and that she had no criminal record. The penalty: a fine of 720 euros, half of which was conditional. Not legally binding.