Three injured

Styria: Bloody argument at a rest stop

On Saturday night, two owners of a haulage company met with one of their drivers at a rest stop on the A9 Pyhrnautobahn. The employee is suspected of having attacked and injured his two superiors with a knife. He was arrested while on the run. 

The two bosses of a haulage company, father (62) and son (34), traveled from Hungary on Saturday evening for a clarifying conversation with one of their drivers. The 56-year-old suspect, also a Hungarian citizen, was staying in the Zeltweg area with his 29-year-old son at the time. The junior boss took the truck to the Deutschfeistritz service station for a joint assessment of the damage. The senior boss, the suspect and his son were also on site.

When the 34-year-old walked around the vehicle, the 56-year-old hit him with his fist. He then pulled out a folding knife and stabbed him in the upper body. The 62-year-old father rushed to help his son when he realized what was going on. The suspect then shouted at him and also stabbed him. The 34-year-old son then came to his father's aid and hit the perpetrator with his flashlight. 

Perpetrator arrested, victim undergoes emergency surgery
The 56-year-old used the truck as a getaway vehicle and headed north with his son. However, the petrol station attendant had noticed what had happened and alerted the police. As a result, all tunnels on the A9 were closed to all traffic in both directions. At the south portal of the Gleinalm Tunnel, police officers from the Rapid Intervention Unit were finally able to arrest the fugitive. 

The two injured men were taken to Graz Regional Hospital by the Red Cross. The senior manager suffered serious injuries and had to undergo emergency surgery during the night. He is now out of danger. His son was slightly injured and was able to leave the hospital after outpatient treatment. The suspect also suffered minor injuries and was treated as an outpatient at Judenburg Regional Hospital. 

Investigations by the Styrian State Officeof Criminal Investigationare ongoing
Homicide investigators and crime scene specialists from the Styrian State Office of Criminal Investigation have taken over further investigations. The knife was recovered. The suspect was questioned and has confessed. He was taken to Graz-Jakomini prison. The interrogations of the victims are still ongoing.