Accident driver (26):

“Would do anything to get Jeanette back”

Great sympathy after the tragic accidental death of Jeanette(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

The Jeanette accident tragedy has affected many in the country. More than a year and a half later, one of the two people involved in the accident had to go to Salzburg provincial court: although he denied the accusations, the 26-year-old also showed a remorseful side: "If I had the chance to get Jeanette back, I would do anything." The court sentenced him to partial imprisonment.

Jeanette was a person of the heart for many people around her. This was evident from the many people attending the trial, the many grieving relatives who gathered in courtroom 401 of the Salzburg Provincial Court on Tuesday. More than a year and a half ago, on the night of June 17, 2023, the waitress (19) lost her young life. She was hit by a car on the Mattseer Landesstraße (L101) and run over by a second car.

"Accident could have been avoided"
But only the driver (26) of the first car, a BMW X3, sat in front of the judge: on charges of involuntary manslaughter and leaving an injured person unharmed. The second driver is still unknown. "It was tragic because the accident was avoidable," emphasized public prosecutor Florian Weinkamer. That night, a number of people were celebrating at a party near the Mattseer Landesstraße. Drunk, the 19-year-old wanted to go home at around 1 a.m. in the clear new moon night.

That's when it happened: the BMW driver hit her with his side mirror - at 70 to 80 km/h. "Instead of helping, he simply drove on," says the public prosecutor. The next day, the 26-year-old turned himself in to the police: "I didn't see Jeanette, otherwise I would have stopped. If I had the chance to get her back, I would do anything."

Defense lawyer: Victim was also "to blame herself"
He himself said he only heard a "clack". Which surprised the judge: "The damage is not compatible with a clack." He had even only checked the damage to his "favorite car" the next day. "If he didn't recognize the person, there was no intent," said defence lawyer Carl Handlechner. And the lawyer even said that the victim was "herself to blame", as she had been walking there drunk and "in violation of the road traffic regulations".

Another driver described in the witness box how she recognized the young woman on the asphalt before the 26-year-old, drove back, switched on the hazard lights and high beam and then called the police. During the conversation, it happened in a matter of seconds: "It really threw her into the air." 

In the end, the 26-year-old admitted to the charge of involuntary manslaughter. The sentence, which is not legally binding, is twelve months in prison, four of which the 26-year-old will serve. Both sides have lodged appeals.