After accident tragedy

Grandpa ran over Roland: Criminal complaint after fatal drive

The terrible accident shook the inhabitants of the village of 1100 people

(Bild: Dostal Harald)

Two-year-old Roland was run over by a Hoftrac driven by his own grandfather on his parents' farm in Mühlviertel in May. The public prosecutor's office accuses the man from Mühlviertel (66) of negligently killing his grandson. The penalty for this is 3 years in prison, but the case could also be settled by diversion. 

Little Roland would have been three years old in the fall. Instead of a birthday party, this day will once again be extremely painful for his family. Because nothing has been the same for his relatives since May 11. On that day, the two-year-old closed his eyes forever. He died as a result of a terrible accident on his parents' farm in Kirchberg/Danube.

Boy secretly ran into the barn
According to reports, in an unobserved moment while playing with his dad and brother David (1), the two-year-old secretly ran into the barn where his grandfather was working with a wheel loader. Unfortunately, the 66-year-old did not notice his grandson running behind the vehicle, he reversed - and ran over Roland.

The tragedy happened during stable work on the farm in Kirchberg ob der Donau.

(Bild: Dostal Harald)

Psychological help
The little boy was probably killed instantly. Resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful and the emergency doctor flown in was unable to help the boy. A world collapsed for the family. The pain over the loss of the child on the day before Mother's Day was boundless.

The result was a "sea of tears"(quote from Mayor Franz Hofer, who offered his condolences and support to the family the day after the accident). The mourners had to receive psychological support. The grandfather in particular reproached himself for not having seen his grandson.

When reversing, the grandfather should have made sure that there was nobody in the danger zone.

Ulrike Breiteneder, Sprecherin der Staatsanwaltschaft Linz

In addition to the human loss, the 66-year-old is also facing criminal charges. "We have filed a criminal complaint on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter," confirms Ulrike Breiteneder, spokesperson for the Linz public prosecutor's office.

Not looking in the rear-view mirror
The grandfather had neglected to look in the mirror before reversing. Breiteneder: "He should have made sure that nobody was in the danger zone." The penalty: up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 720 daily rates. However, a diversionary settlement is also possible.