140 km/h without a license

Speeding driver (18) on cocaine: “Didn’t endanger anyone”

The 18-year-old repeat offender receives a very lenient sentence for his chaotic driving in October.(Bild: Dimitri Metz – stock.adobe.com, Krone KREATIV)

On October 7, an 18-year-old under the influence of cocaine drove chaotically through Vienna, fleeing from the police at over 140 km/h in his BMW. The verdict against the speeding driver was handed down on Friday. He stated on the record: "I didn't endanger anyone, I'm quite sure of that." 

An earlier verdict from the beginning of 2024 was taken into account in the sentencing. This concerned dangerous driving in the district of Gänserndorf, which led to the withdrawal of his driving license. At the time, the young man received a conditional sentence for endangering road safety.

Lenient sentence for repeat offender
Due to the new incident, a panel of lay judges has now imposed an additional conditional prison sentence of four months and an unconditional fine of 720 euros (180 daily rates of four euros each) on the unemployed repeat offender. The 18-year-old accepted the sentence, which can be considered mild, without objection. The public prosecutor also agreed with the decision.

Passers-by and cyclists caught by a hair's breadth
The 18-year-old caught the attention of a radio patrol because he was driving in an unsafe manner. They wanted to carry out a driver and vehicle check on Wienerbergstraße in Favoriten.

We slowed down at 140 km/h to avoid endangering other people.

Schilderung eines Polizisten vor Gericht

However, the young man put the car into reverse and sped off towards the city, driving in serpentine lines. The escape stretched through several districts, with the 18-year-old accelerating to 140 km/h several times. "We eased off the accelerator at 140 to avoid endangering other people," a police officer told the court.

The accused made daring overtaking maneuvers, ignored a red light at at least one intersection, caught a cyclist by a hair's breadth and endangered pedestrians who wanted to cross the road at a crosswalk in accordance with regulations. "The pedestrians were only just able to jump away," reported the officer.

In Hadikgasse, the police had set up a roadblock with two emergency vehicles. Instead of stopping, the 18-year-old rammed into a car and continued his journey. This only came to an end when a police vehicle deliberately drove against the one-way traffic in Cumberlandstraße. The 18-year-old hit the rear of the car and was unable to continue. He was forced to get out of his car with his hands up and let himself be arrested.

I didn't endanger anyone, I'm quite sure of that.

Der 18-jährige Angeklagte

"I didn't endanger anyone"
"I wasn't in control. I wasn't with myself," the accused stated in his interrogation. He had taken cocaine every day from April until his arrest. When asked by the judge when he had last consumed narcotics before the chaotic journey, he replied: "At the start of the journey." Since that day, however, he had "not touched cocaine", he assured the court. He played down his actions: "I didn't endanger anyone, I'm quite sure of that."