Prison sentence

“Panic reaction” triggered a car chase

Several patrols took up the pursuit

(Bild: Spitzbart Wolfgang/Wolfgang Spitzbart)

With 1.9 per mille alcohol in her blood, a local driver (32) sped away from the police in mid-February, giving the officers a daring chase in Flachgau. She confessed in court. Because of her previous convictions, she must also serve four months.

Multiple counts of resisting law enforcement, multiple counts of endangering the physical safety of several motorists and attempted coercion: These were the accusations made by the public prosecutor at the trial in Salzburg Provincial Court on Wednesday, underlining the woman's "reckless driving" on that February 15, 2024.

Salzburg courthouse, seat of the regional court

(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

After a visit to a pub in Eugendorf, the woman got into a car while drunk. When police officers tried to check her, she sped off at 140 km/h in the direction of Henndorf: According to the criminal complaint, she repeatedly drove into the oncoming lane, almost causing several accidents. The chase later continued on the Westautobahn (A1) towards Salzburg in serpentine lines. After dangerous situations at the Lieferinger Tunnel, the mad dash ended at the Walserberg border crossing: there, the German police used a "stop stick" - also known as a "tire killer" or nail barrier - to stop the driver.

The accused had an alcohol relapse

"It was a panic reaction. My client switched off her brain that day, so one thing led to another," explained Peter Macheiner (Jelinek law firm), the trial lawyer, and announced that the accused had confessed. The unemployed local woman with nine entries in her criminal record also spoke of a "relapse" she had that day. "There could have been serious injuries or deaths, are you aware of that?" the judge asked. The woman answered in the affirmative and concluded by saying "I'm very sorry". 

Because of her previous convictions, some of which were relevant, the woman had relapsed, which is why she has now been sentenced to 4 out of 22 months in prison, with the remainder of the sentence being conditional. "In my opinion, this is a lenient sentence in view of her criminal record. You are in control of your own life," the judge said to the defendant. The verdict is not final.