Open questions – After the death of a football player: 950 euros fine

The suspect, a 41-year-old Tunisian from Vienna, was driving a Mercedes Sprinter on the A1 around 2 a.m. when he suddenly crashed into the footballer’s car without braking. According to the Public Prosecution Service and the expert, he drove 150 to 160 km/h, while the digital speed limit allowed only 100. He had to answer before the Linz Regional Court on Tuesday.

Cell phone records and reports prove it
However, the police investigation and the expert also showed that the young footballer not only drove for several kilometers as a wrong-way driver on the A 25 and then on the A 1, but also that he drove his black Audi A3 perpendicular to the direction of travel. was driving between the second and third lanes and all vehicle lights were turned off. The suspect and two witnesses also confirmed this.

Was he distracted?
The prosecutor accused the 41-year-old driver of the accident not only of driving at an extremely high speed – he was probably driving at a speed of 160 km/h, 100 was allowed, and according to driving by sight he was only allowed 70 km/h you drive. km/h. Moreover, he was busy lighting a cigarette and therefore responded late.

Accidental death is a major burden
The suspect burst into tears several times in the courtroom. “I am not afraid of the court, I know you are acting according to the law,” said the Tunisian, who has no criminal record and was previously accident-free, in clear German. But the fact that someone died as a result of the accident was very difficult for him and still bothers him constantly. He admitted that he had been driving too fast, but also made it clear that he had no chance of avoiding the parked car.

Witnesses confirm
A Ukrainian long-distance driver from Enns, the driver of the truck that overtook the suspect, confirmed that it was pitch black and that he had not seen the footballer’s vehicle either. A second witness, a Viennese taxi driver who drove past the accident scene a few seconds earlier, also only saw the vehicle at the last moment. “I wondered why someone parked there, and I had already passed,” said the Viennese woman. Moments later, she observed the crash in the rearview mirror. She also struggled to keep her composure in court, saying she had no chance to react in time at 75mph.

Huge impact
The footballer’s car was completely destroyed. The impact not only tore the vehicle into several pieces, but also sent the motorcycle flying across the entire highway onto an adjacent embankment. The ignition was also off because no airbags were deployed. According to the expert, neither the driver nor the young athlete were wearing seat belts in their car. During the collision, the 26-year-old was thrown from the car and into the road divider. The driver involved in the accident was also not wearing a seat belt and therefore broke his kneecap on the light switch.

A mild punishment for the time being
The judge ultimately determined 240 minimum daily rates of four euros, i.e. a fine of 960 euros and reimbursement of procedural costs for manslaughter by negligence. The extremely high speed was aggravating, but his integrity, confession and serious injuries mitigated. The private parties involved were referred to civil proceedings for damages. The verdict is not yet final and the public prosecutor has not yet made a statement.

Mystery remains
It remains unclear why 26-year-old Marko V., who had 0.8 per mille of alcohol in his blood, initially drove wrong-way and entered the highway at this point. He had just returned from a match his team won and scored two goals. He had also recently been in touch with his wife, where he reportedly seemed happy. However, according to the lawyer, the two were probably divorced. Marko V. leaves behind a five-year-old son and his wife.

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