Attempted murder?

“Amok drive” through Vienna

The 34-year-old Serb in the dock at the Vienna Regional Court.

(Bild: Sophie Pratschner, Krone KREATIV)

Last December, a 34-year-old man sped away from the police for kilometers - regardless of the consequences. Not only did he knock over a cyclist and ram a car with a family of four head-on, he also stepped on the gas pedal despite the roadblock and raced towards two police officers. Two counts of attempted murder, according to the public prosecutor's office. 

On December 8, a 34-year-old left a trail of destruction through half of Vienna. When the police tried to stop him on the Gürtel near Westbahnhof station, he simply sped away from the officers. Why? "Because I didn't have a driver's license, I was in Austria illegally, I had a joint in my hand and the car had false license plates," said the accused. So he stepped on the gas in his black Jaguar - regardless of the consequences.

Speeding through a roadblock
"The defendant constantly changed lanes, drove recklessly and almost caused several accidents on the Wiener Gürtel," said the public prosecutor, summarizing what she described as a "rampage". At the intersection between Wiener Gürtel and Eichenstraße, the police finally set up a roadblock to put an end to the wild chase. "But he made no decency whatsoever to stop," said the prosecutor.

I was just sure that the police officers would move to the side. That's common sense.

Angeklagter (34) im Wiener Landesgericht

At 70 to 80 km/h, he raced towards two officers who were standing in his path with their service weapons drawn. They were able to jump to the side at the last second - an attempted murder, the public prosecutor's office accuses. The Serb defends himself: "I was simply sure that the police officers would move to the side. That's common sense. There was also so much time that if I had hit the brakes, I could have stopped."

Cyclist brought down
But the rampage doesn't end there: the 34-year-old continues along the Gürtel at high speed. Until he ran down a cyclist on Matzleinsdorferplatz in the 5th district. "Only because he was wearing a helmet did he suffer a slight traumatic brain injury," explains the public prosecutor. According to her, worse could have happened to the man.

"A... and a criminal"
On Fasangasse, the speeding driver finally collided with oncoming traffic - a car in which a family of four was sitting. The prosecutor: "Only this accident marked the end of the defendant's dangerous, reckless rampage." The mother, who was sitting in the car, was seriously injured. The rest of the family got off lightly.

The lawyers Rudolf Mayer and Lukas Hruby.

(Bild: Sophie Pratschner)

Endangering physical safety, coercion, negligent bodily harm, attempted bodily harm and attempted murder - the list of offenses charged is long. "There's no question that he's an a... and a criminal," admits lawyer Rudolf Mayer, who is defending the 34-year-old together with Lukas Hruby. However, he is not a murderer and never intended to kill. Several witness statements are to clarify this at a further trial date. 

Not the first speeding incident
The wild chase through Vienna was apparently not a first for the Serb either. In March 2019, there was a similar incident in Brno in the Czech Republic. With a kilogram of cannabis, three pistols and a Kalashnikov in his luggage, he sped through the city, outrunning the police - just like in December 2023. He was given a seven-year prison sentence for this, but was released halfway through due to good behavior and a residence ban.