Father had got out of the car

Girl (10) was practicing driving and rammed into a house

Both girls were seriously injured and taken to hospital

(Bild: P. Huber)

Well meant is the opposite of well done! This was demonstrated on Saturday afternoon in St. Lorenz am Mondsee (Upper Austria). A father (37) is said to have shown his daughters (10 and 7) how to drive a car. However, an accident happened right away. The car broke down and both girls were seriously injured.

The practice session began at around 12 noon on Saturday in the private field next to the family home in St. Lorenz. The 37-year-old left his ten-year-old daughter in the driver's seat and took the passenger seat himself. The driver's seven-year-old sister sat in the right rear seat.

Pasture gate opened
After the practice drive, the father got out and opened the pasture gate, at which point the ten-year-old suddenly let go of the clutch and pressed the accelerator pedal.

Based on the tracks, the police concluded that the wheels on the car had spun first. On subsequent contact with the asphalt, the car crashed forward into the wall of the house. Both front airbags deployed. However, the impact was apparently so violent that both girls were injured.

Jaw fracture
Apparently at least one child hit her head against a solid object and had to be treated for a suspected broken jaw. The Red Cross and the police were called to the scene of the accident and the injured children were taken to Salzburg State Hospital. There was no danger to life, however.

Legal consequences
The extent to which the father will face consequences remains to be seen once the circumstances of the accident have been finally clarified. In principle, such "driving courses" on private property are permitted by law if the property is obviously not open for use.

In other words: if it is fenced or fenced off. However, if they can be used by "everyone under the same conditions", private roads also become public and penalties are imposed.