Mystery at trial

Intoxicated driver (29) rammed into cyclist

The driver's alcohol test showed 1.4 per mille

(Bild: P. Huber)

A woman from Oberland (29) had to answer for negligent bodily harm at Innsbruck Regional Court on Wednesday. She had hit a cyclist who suffered multiple injuries. However, many questions arose during the trial . . .

Only one thing was undisputed: the woman had got behind the wheel of her car in August, drunk and intoxicated by cannabis, with a blood alcohol level of around 1.4 per mille. "That was a huge mistake," said her defense lawyer. Nevertheless, she had not breached her duty of care because "the cyclist herself was inattentive", he argued.

Injuries all over the body
The driver herself did not want to comment on the serious accident in the district of Reutte, in which a German citizen suffered polytrauma, a kidney injury and a coccyx fracture as a result of the collision between a car and a bicycle.

"I looked left and right before crossing the road on my bike and didn't see anything far and wide."

Das Opfer vor Gericht

According to the victim, the car came "out of nowhere"
 The victim herself could do little to clarify the situation afterwards. "We were on vacation and the three of us were on a bike tour," she said. And described how the car "came out of nowhere" when crossing a main road. "I looked left and right before crossing the road on my bike and didn't see anything far and wide," she explained. Her husband described the situation similarly: "I couldn't see a car, but then suddenly heard tires screeching and of course the impact".

Expertopinion to be obtained for clarification
Due to these uncertainties, the judge ultimately decided to obtain a "motor vehicle expert opinion" and thus postpone it indefinitely. According to the judge, the skid marks would be checked on site and a joint on-site inspection would be carried out with the defendant and the injured woman.