Court sentences driver after 219 km/h road-race crash

A 33-year-old driver who crashed during a road race while under the influence of alcohol and drugs was sentenced to 13 months in prison, suspended, and fined 2,400 euros. He partly admitted the charges at court on Monday, ORF reported.

The crash happened in January on the Rheintal motorway, or A14, near Koblach, as the driver travelled towards Tyrol with four passengers in his electric car. According to the prosecution, he was racing another car and reached speeds of up to 219 km/h before losing control and hitting a crash barrier. All five people in his car were injured.

The man admitted that he had repeatedly accelerated to more than 200 km/h after consuming alcohol, cannabis and cocaine. Asked by the judge why he had driven, he replied that it was “stupidity”. He said the race had started spontaneously.

The driver was also charged with attempted grievous bodily harm. His lawyer argued that he had not intended to hurt anyone. The judge found that he had accepted the possibility of causing serious injuries, noting that his four passengers had urged him to slow down but he continued racing.

The defendant called the crash “the biggest mistake of my life” and said he regretted it and still had sleepless nights. The judge also acknowledged that he had since taken responsibility. The prosecutor and defence lawyer both waived their right to appeal.

Five other men also appeared in court: four passengers from the car and one witness who had seen the crash. They were accused of defamation and assisting an offender after allegedly naming someone else as the driver in their first police interviews. A police officer testified that no one at the scene initially identified the 33-year-old as the driver, and that he contacted police the following day.

The five men agreed to diversionary measures involving community service. If they complete the measures, their cases will end without a conviction or a resulting criminal record.