Brother sentenced after brother dies in moving-car crash

A 32-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after his brother died following a fall from a moving car in Lower Austria, ORF reported. The sentence for grossly negligent homicide includes five months to be served immediately.

The accident happened on May 16 in Kirchberg am Wagram in the Tulln district. The defendant, who did not have a driving licence, and his brother were part of a car scene that met regularly. The group decided that the 28-year-old victim and another person could sit on the car’s boot lid.

The vehicle, driven by the defendant, accelerated. The 28-year-old slipped from the car and hit the asphalt. Witnesses came to his aid, but he died in hospital several days later.

According to the Lower Austrian News, the defendant pleaded guilty at Wednesday’s trial in St. Pölten. He said he had gone through “a major downward spiral” and had needed antidepressants and sleeping pills since his brother’s death. He also said he had completed therapy.

The brothers’ mother and sister attended the trial. Neither sought compensation or damages.

The defendant, who had several previous convictions, must also pay the costs of the proceedings. A probation period imposed by the Amstetten District Court was extended to five years.

The verdict is final, a spokesperson for the St. Pölten Regional Court confirmed.