Prison Sentence for Speeder After Fleeing from Vienna Police

Initially, the public prosecutor's office investigated the 33-year-old speeder for attempted murder but dropped the intent to kill. The man was now found guilty of attempted grievous bodily harm, endangering physical safety, and resisting state authority, and was sentenced to three and a half years in prison. Both the defense and the prosecution agreed to the verdict.

Speeder crashed into car while fleeing from Vienna police

The crew of a radio patrol recognized the 33-year-old, who was wanted for outstanding administrative fines amounting to 33,000 euros, as he was traveling with his partner and their four-month-old daughter in the passenger seat in Vienna-Leopoldstadt. With blue lights and sirens, they followed the car and signaled the driver to stop. Instead, he accelerated, turned against the one-way on Wehlistraße, lost control of his vehicle due to excessive speed, and crashed into another car. The driver of this car suffered whiplash and bruises on the left shoulder.

Police officer jumped aside just in time

Despite the crash, the 33-year-old did not give in. According to the indictment, he drove towards a police officer, who stood in his way with a drawn pistol, at 13 km/h. Only because the officer jumped aside in time was he not run over or hit, the prosecutor described. A side mirror of the car brushed against his right arm. The 33-year-old's speeding only ended when his vehicle skidded, crashed into a construction site, and the car got wedged between a construction fence and a concrete pillar. Even then, the defendant did not turn off the engine. Only four shots fired by a police officer into the car's tires persuaded him to surrender. The 33-year-old's wife and child emerged uninjured from the car, and the driver had to be forcibly removed from the vehicle by the police.

Accused speeder claimed fear of prison

The accused now claimed in court that fear of prison was his motive. He was aware that due to a lack of cash, he would have had to serve the six-week substitute prison sentence for the outstanding administrative fines: "I already saw the cell in front of me." He wanted to avoid being locked up at all costs: "I was afraid I would lose my job and my wife would be left alone with the child." In hindsight, he deeply regretted his behavior: "It burns in my heart," assured the nine-time convict. He swore "on his daughter's life" that he did not intend to harm the police officer.

(APA/Red)

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