From the regional court

Birthday party ends in traffic accident

In the end, the accused drunk driver proved to be quite reasonable.(Bild: Chantall Dorn)

The party guest drank too much in the spring and then caused a serious accident in Röthis. The 42-year-old now stood before the provincial court in Feldkirch. 

The tragedy happened on the evening of April 21. Although the 41-year-old tradesman was really drunk, he got behind the wheel of his van to drive home. On the way towards Viktorsberg, the drunk driver overlooks a motorcyclist during a turning maneuver. There is a collision.

The 59-year-old biker suffers a bruised lung and ribs and a bruised finger when the 100 hp machine falls, but is spared any broken bones. As the victim was in pain for more than 24 days, the person responsible for the accident now has to answer to the court for negligent bodily injury.

"You are already aware that alcohol poses a great danger in road traffic," says Judge Martin Mitteregger, trying to persuade the drunk driver. The unfortunate driver was found to have two per mille alcohol in his blood. However, the answer of the previously blameless man sounds quite unreasonable: "It was just a birthday party." To which the councillor immediately jumps to his defence: "That's no excuse!"

Public prosecutor Wilfried Siegele is also very clear in his closing statement: "With two blood alcohol levels, a fine is out of the question. Something like this must be punished with a prison sentence!"

A promise and thanks from the defendant
The non-final judgment is therefore: three months' suspended imprisonment and a fine of 2,400 euros. The insurance company has already paid 12,000 euros in compensation. However, as the 59-year-old victim has now claimed a further 5000 euros in partial compensation for pain and suffering, his claims have been referred to the civil courts.

In view of the fact that the convicted man could have faced up to two years in prison for negligent bodily harm, he thanked the judge politely at the end and then promised: "This kind of behavior won't happen again."