71-year-old unperturbed

Drunk driver can’t stop “Krone” delivery man

Normally, newspaper deliverer Otto Eichinger (71) doesn't let wind or weather get in the way of his work. On Friday night, however, he was stopped by a drunk driver who had overlooked him. But the tireless man is already in good spirits again and says with a grin: "Weeds don't go away."

For 13 years, Otto Eichinger from Schwarzenberg in Upper Austria has been working tirelessly night after night to ensure that the "Krone" reaches subscribers' breakfast tables on time. On Friday night, however, his shift ended unexpectedly "as early as" 4.40 am. The 71-year-old was "shot down" in his car by a drunk driver at the third house to be delivered.

When we reached him on Friday morning, he was already able to joke again: "Weeds don't die," he said with a laugh when asked how he was doing. But what exactly had happened: "I was delivering the newspapers in Salnau. Just as I was getting back into my car, a car suddenly comes towards me and crashes into the front of me. My airbag went off and hit me in the face. My glasses were completely bent," says the 71-year-old.

He then got out of his car and called the police. His opponent in the accident? "He just stayed in the car, only rolled down the window once, but closed it again straight away." There was probably a good reason for that. Because when the arriving police officers asked the 26-year-old German to get out of the car, it quickly became apparent that he was heavily intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of 1.42 per mille. "He was drunk as a skunk, he was really swaying when he got out," says Eichinger. "But I myself had a blood alcohol level of 0.0, because I'm a teetotaller."

"If you don't have a job, you get angry"
The retired truck driver was taken to hospital by ambulance as a precaution. Fortunately, after several examinations, the all-clear was given - he had only suffered minor injuries in the collision. His car was a different story - it was completely damaged at the front. "But I'll get a loan car on Friday afternoon," says Eichinger, who is highly motivated to deliver the Saturday "Krone" again.

He delivers 470 newspapers night after night, traveling from Salnau to Schwarzenberg in the Bohemian Forest from two in the morning until nine in the morning. He started his job 13 years ago - when he retired.

But why is he still doing this at the age of 71? "Because I enjoy it. If you have no work, you get angry. Besides, I was a truck driver, so I'm used to getting up early anyway," smiles Otto - who is probably rightly described by his area manager as "his best man".