Researcher in court

Family dog collapses after downhill bike tour

The tour was probably too much for the leashed family dog (symbolic image).(Bild: Aitor - stock.adobe.com)

A well-known scientist (57) stood trial after a summer detour on a downhill bike trail in Tyrol. The reason: the family dog had to go downhill on a lead. The accused researcher admitted that he had underestimated the situation. It was expensive ...

The defendant won numerous prizes and awards as a natural scientist in Innsbruck. In this case, however, he seemed to have lacked the proverbial common sense: With the leashed dog, which the man described as a "much-loved family dog", he was riding his e-bike on the well-known downhill trail from Innsbruck's Hungerburg towards the city center. According to the indictment, the four-legged friend came close to collapsing there. A witness had raised the alarm.

"Probably simply overwhelmed"
"We probably simply overwhelmed the dog," admitted the 57-year-old and pleaded partially guilty. However, he reported that the dog loved such family outings.

Trail through the city center as a sticking point
The problem was not the trail itself, as the family had ridden there slowly. "The problem was probably the subsequent route through the city center, where we made a larger loop," mused the defendant. In any case, they should have "gone to the fountain earlier", even though it was overcast and not sunny and hot on that summer's day.

We haven't ridden trails with the dog since then.

Der Angeklagte am Prozessende

Diversion was expensive for high earners
The judge granted diversion without a penalty, and the man with a monthly net income in the high four-figure range had to pay 8250 euros. After consulting with his defense lawyer, the 57-year-old decided to accept the diversion and pay it in six installments. He himself aptly formulated his most important insight from the proceedings: "We haven't been out on any trails with the dog since then."