"I deserved the punishment"

Family man torn from his life: Prison sentence

The defendant on trial for, among other things, gross negligence manslaughter.

(Bild: Zwefo/Zwefo, Krone KREATIV)

With a blood alcohol level of almost 1.8 and 20 km/h too much, a 31-year-old woman crashed into the car in front of her in Vienna-Donaustadt. A traffic accident that was to have terrible consequences: The accident victim - a family man - died three days later in hospital. The defendant now receives a prison sentence for this. 

The defendant sits in the middle of the courtroom with her head bowed, behind her are the relatives of the man who died after a traffic accident. The 31-year-old had caused the accident. She got behind the wheel of her black VW Beetle on April 26 in the afternoon with a blood alcohol level of almost 1.8. "If I had really felt like I had drunk that much alcohol, I would never have driven a car," she says in Vienna Landl. 

Family father died three days after accident
The serious accident then occurred on Julius-Ficker-Straße in Vienna-Donaustadt. "She crashed into the victim's vehicle at 70 km/h, almost without braking", the public prosecutor accuses. The 40-year-old in turn crashed into the car in front of him. "He was able to get out of the car and was taken to hospital conscious." However, he died there three days later as a result of a traumatic brain injury ...

Driving under the influence of alcohol is not a trivial offense. Even if it sometimes seems that way in Austria.

Die Staatsanwältin fordert eine empfindliche Strafe

Why was the young Viennese woman drunk on the road at 3 pm? "We had a company party. I'd only been there three weeks. My boss kept pouring me drinks." Nevertheless, she would have felt fit to drive after several glasses of wine. 

Three other people injured in the collision
Her defence lawyer emphasizes that there is of course no excuse for this terrible accident and says on behalf of his client: "Of course, our full sympathy goes out to the injured and, above all, to the bereaved." An elderly lady, another person involved and the deceased's partner - who was in the car with him - were also injured in the collision. 

"I deserved a punishment"
With a handshake and tears in her eyes, the 31-year-old asks the victims for forgiveness. Her final words: "I would like to say that I deserve to be punished. I know that too. No matter what it is, I will accept it." And she does - 10 months in prison for gross negligence manslaughter and negligent bodily harm, two of which will be carried out unconditionally. The bereaved are awarded a total of 124,000 euros in compensation for grief and funeral costs - probably just a small consolation ...