Trial in Feldkirch

Road rage driver has to pay

The 19-year-old was sentenced to a hefty fine of 4200 euros.(Bild: Chantall Dorn, Krone KREATIV)

Negligent assault: A 19-year-old newcomer to driving was asked to pay a hefty fine at Feldkirch Regional Court on Wednesday. This was also due to the fact that he already had a lot on his record. 

The fact that the 19-year-old defendant has a fairly relaxed relationship with the criminal traffic code can be seen from his previous administrative penalties. These include speeding and overtaking on the hard shoulder. On Wednesday, the road hog stood trial for crashing his car into a tree in mid-January. The result: two minor injuries and one serious injury.

Excessive speed
But right from the start: Despite consuming alcohol, the novice driver got behind the wheel of his car that evening in Dornbirn. Two friends of the accused were with him. The drunk driver sped through the town at excessive speed. In a 30 km/h zone, he loses control of his vehicle and crashes into a tree. While the 19-year-old and a passenger survive the accident almost unharmed, another passenger is seriously injured. An alcohol test on the driver reveals a blood alcohol level of almost 1.0 per mille.

My behavior was terrible. The thought that my friends could have been killed still weighs on me today.

Der Angeklagte vor Gericht

During the trial, the defendant admits his guilt and describes his behavior as terrible: "The thought that my friends could have been killed still weighs on me today." However, public prosecutor Wilfried Siegele does not see the 19-year-old as reformed: "Speeding, overtaking on the hard shoulder and now this! This can't be beaten in terms of recklessness and shows the defendant's indifference!"

Judge Martin Mitteregger follows the prosecutor's explanations and imposes an unconditional fine of 4,200 euros on the 19-year-old boy. The sentence for negligent assault is not final.