Became too much for him

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At the beginning of September 2024, Maximilian died through no fault of his own - his father should have passed here every day on the A1 near Vorchdorf.

(Bild: Matthias Lauber/laumat.at)

It was too much for a father from Upper Austria who had lost his 19-year-old son to a drunk driver and was supposed to pass the scene of the accident every day. He fell ill and lost his job. Now the family also has financial worries. A friend is now going on the offensive to help.

Almost every day, he would have had to drive past the scene of his son's death on the Westautobahn near Vorchdorf. That was too much for an almost 50-year-old man from Traunviertel. The taxi driver had to go on sick leave and lost his job.

Last Tuesday, the family sat in the courtroom in Wels as the death of Maximilian (19) was dealt with legally, and the 47-year-old drunk driver - they had known each other personally beforehand - was sentenced to 18 months' partial imprisonment (not legally binding). It was obvious how hard the loss had hit the family and that the parents - they are separated and there are patchwork families - and their four siblings were still a long way from returning to normal life.

A dignified burial place for Maximilian
"And the financial worries have become great due to the job loss and the funeral costs," says Sabrina Kienbauer, who has now launched a fundraising campaign for Maximilian's family. "It's primarily about covering the funeral costs. The family naturally wants a beautiful and dignified burial site for Maximilian," says Kienbauer.

Donation information

If you would like to donate: Sabrina Kienbauer;
IBAN AT33 2031 7077 2522 6174; reason for payment: Maximilian

Little hope of money from the ghost driver
Of the 15,000 euros claimed per parent - not legally binding - the court awarded 5,000 euros, the rest must be claimed in civil proceedings. However, it is unclear whether the wrong-way driver, who now owes around 11,000 euros as a result of the accident, will ever be able to pay.