Driver fined 13,500 euros over fatal motorcycle crash

A 68-year-old driver has been fined 13,500 euros over a crash that killed two people in Radstadt in June, ORF reported. The Salzburg Regional Court suspended half the fine.

The German driver was convicted of causing death by negligence over the June 21 collision on the Ennstal Road, or B320. His car crossed into the oncoming lane and hit a motorcycle head-on. The motorcycle’s 48-year-old rider, a well-known ski hut owner from Schladming, and his 37-year-old girlfriend, who was riding pillion, died.

The driver accepted responsibility in court and apologised to the victims’ relatives. He said he still could not explain how he had ended up on the wrong side of the road.

A court expert said the car was travelling between 86 and 92 km/h in an 80 km/h zone, but that speed did not cause the crash. The expert said the driver had failed to pay attention to the road for about 2.5 to three seconds. A vehicle ahead also significantly restricted the motorcyclist’s view of the oncoming car. The motorcyclist could not have avoided the collision, the expert concluded.

The judge also awarded the relatives compensation for lost financial support. Other parties seeking damages were referred to civil proceedings. The ruling is not final.