Everyone is still talking about the accident at the Schottenring, but the next frenzy is already causing a stir. An 18-year-old Serb ran a red traffic light on Friday night at the crossing of Perfektastrasse and Altmannsdorfer Strasse. Police officers from the state traffic department saw this and wanted to stop the driver. The raced but immediately away, the police took up the pursuit.
Cyclists and pedestrians endangered
The chase drove north on the A23, via Favoriten and the S1 in the direction of Schwechat. During the escape, the driver reached a top speed of around 250 km/h in his car. In addition, the handlebar endangered both a cyclist and a pedestrian, who could only avoid a collision by jumping sideways.
At Fischamend, additional police forces created an artificial traffic jam. So it was finally possible to stop the handlebars. The driver, an 18-year-old Serbian national, was subsequently arrested.
Officers also found stolen license plates in the car. They have been secured.
The lawyer of the Board of Trustees for Road Safety, Armin Kaltenegger, cannot understand this: “Here, action was taken with a great deal of ruthlessness towards the lives of other people, towards general safety.”
“Penalties are too small”
Kaltenegger assumes that all possibilities of administrative penalties will be exhausted: withdrawal of driver’s license, high fines. But he also sees the possibility of taking legal action for endangering the community: “After all, this offense has a penalty of up to ten years, but it is rarely used.”