Wild chase

Farmer chases brazen gang of burglars

Herbert Gartner with the battered getaway car

(Bild: Gartner/zVg)

Styrian chokeberry farmer Herbert Gartner actually just wanted to check on his berries - and suddenly found himself in the middle of a wild chase! Thanks to him, however, a brazen gang of burglars was put a stop to it.

Herbert Gartner will never forget that: It was thanks to him that a gang of four burglars from Hungary (aged 24, 26, 37 and 44) were caught. 

It was a summer night in August this year. Herbert Gartner from Paurach in Feldbach had to drive to a chokeberry warehouse in Gniebing every three hours to de-ice his car because the automatic system had broken down. On the way there, he noticed two men in dark clothing getting into a car at the chapel. He became suspicious and dialed the emergency number. "I told the lady that I was giving chase."

You don't have to do it like me. But it's important not to look the other way when injustice happens and simply call the police.

Herbert Gartner

Wild maneuver at the traffic circle
The burglars noticed the Styrian and tried to shake him off at a traffic circle on the B68. The passionate hunter immediately recognized the feint and was hot on their heels again. Until he blocked the criminals' path with his car at the Fladnitz fire station. "Like in a movie, they tried to push my car away, the tires were smoking," says Gartner. 

The perpetrators actually managed to escape. But shortly afterwards, their handcuffs clicked: Because their car took off at a traffic island and landed in a crash barrier. "You don't have to do it like me. But don't look away and call the police!" says Gartner looking back.

As the police reported months later, the gang caused around 100,000 euros worth of damage in burglaries and thefts. Thanks to the courageous farmer, the men were put out of business.