Falls and injuries

Half-naked farmer jumps in front of a group of racing cyclists

The short-circuit action of a 33-year-old brought 22 racers to a rude halt in Lassee (Lower Austria).

(Bild: Uli-B - stock.adobe.com)

When he saw the 22 cyclists approaching, a 33-year-old man in Lassee, Lower Austria, jumped onto the road naked, stretched his arms out to the side and waved wildly. Because not everyone was able to get out of the way in time, there were two serious crashes. The remorseful man told the story of the incident at the court hearing in Korneuburg. He was facing up to ten years in prison for the crime.

"This is not an everyday trial," says the judge at Korneuburg Regional Court about a trial for intentional endangerment of the public and grievous bodily harm. A 33-year-old farmer from Lower Austria takes his seat in front of her and the lay assessors. The prosecutor reports on the unusual story from July 20, 2023.

Symbolic image

(Bild: Uli-B - stock.adobe.com)

Somersault over the handlebars
"22 cyclists were traveling at around 35 km/h on Untere Hauptstraße in Lassee that day when the defendant jumped into the middle of the road with his bare upper body. All the riders had to swerve, those in the sixth row crashed and some of them were seriously injured," she says, "one did a somersault over the handlebars and crashed into the ditch.

When the defendant jumped onto the road, all the cyclists had to swerve out of the way. Two of them crashed.

Die Staatsanwältin in ihrem Plädoyer

Anyone who suspects that the perpetrator was drunk or completely confused is mistaken. It was the tall defendant - neither confused nor drunk. In calm words, the blond farmer described what had happened: "I drove behind the group for four to five kilometers. They took up the whole lane. My nerves were on edge. Maybe it was also due to the heat that day."

The unusual trial took place in Korneuburg Regional Court.

(Bild: Klemens Groh)

Defendant wanted to buy cigarettes, but then he got carried away
The man was on his way to the fields in his van to check the irrigation systems. After overtaking the group, he stopped briefly because he wanted to buy cigarettes. "That's when it hit me. I hit the road, screamed and stretched my arms out to the side." 

I was totally overloaded with all the work. It was peak season. 110 percent, for twelve hours. Every day. That can drive you to the brink of madness.

Der Landwirt versucht, eine Erklärung für die Kurzschlusstat zu finden.

Why did he do this nonsense, Mrs. Rat wants to know? He must have realized that it could lead to falls. "I was on the road to create an obstacle. I didn't want anyone to have to go to hospital as a result. It was a short-sighted act. I'm more of a calm person. Not a criminal, but a hard worker."

Now it bursts out of the 33-year-old: "I don't even know that side of myself. But I was totally overloaded with all the work. 110 percent, for twelve hours. Every day." You certainly don't do the job for the little bit of money. "But I'm a farmer with heart and soul."

Lay judges hand down a lenient sentence
He deeply regrets the crime: "It was wrong. I am particularly sorry." When the witnesses from the Slovakian cycling group were called, the defendant's head turned dark red. Antipathy was still palpable, there was no apology.

One of the victims said that she suffered a dislocation in her shoulder joint as well as torn ligaments and bruises in the fall: "I couldn't work as a swimming coach for two months." The athlete waived compensation for pain and suffering, but she would have liked to have had the damage to her bike replaced. In addition to around 1000 euros for repairs, the farmer got off with a lenient sentence: six months conditional.