Trial in Feldkirch

First he stole a fire engine, then caused an accident

The defendant drove a fire engine on country roads while completely drunk. In doing so, he not only endangered his own life, but also that of his passenger.(Bild: Krone KREATIV)

The extremely reckless actions of a 21-year-old from the Bregenzerwald region had a court hearing on Monday at Feldkirch Regional Court in Vorarlberg.

It was Friday, June 14 this year and therefore the weekend for the then 20-year-old boy. After a few beers, Süffel comes up with the boozy idea of taking the Schnepfau fire department's Mercedes Sprinter for a spin to Dornbirn. A buddy is in the passenger seat. But the drunk driver's driving skills leave a lot to be desired as soon as he pulls out of the parking space: he hits another car and causes 8,000 euros worth of damage. Nevertheless, the 20-year-old does not abandon his plan.

With speed and flashing blue lights, he continues his journey to Dornbirn in the stolen fire engine. At the time, he doesn't seem to care that he is not only putting himself at risk, but also the life of his passenger. This changes when he drives far too fast into a bend in Dornbirn, almost causing the car to tip over. The final stop is the police station. An alcohol test on the driver gives a result of 1.34 per mille. "I'm very sorry about everything. I know now that it wasn't a good idea on my part," apologizes the now 21-year-old at the trial on Monday.

Judge Dietmar Nußbaumer finds this very commendable, but in view of the fact that the offender has often violated the road traffic regulations in connection with drugs, but has no criminal record, the judge makes it clear: "When I look at the administrative penalty information, you represent an ongoing danger in road traffic. You'll have to rethink that." The defendant nods dutifully. The judge finds him guilty of unauthorized operation of a vehicle and endangering physical safety and imposes a partial fine of 840 euros.

Addiction counseling is necessary
He is also ordered to continue addiction counseling. As the insurance company has already covered 6000 euros of the damage caused, the defendant still has to pay 2000 euros to the municipality of Schnepfau. In conclusion, the council explained: "How does the general public come to pay for damage because you want to have fun while drunk?"