Man Runs Over Police Officer in Vienna: Two Years in Prison
By continuing to drive on the sidewalk, the 30-year-old tried to flee from the police. The reason: He does not have a driver's license. Additionally, he was using stolen license plates, which he had removed from a parked car.
"He Accelerated Fully and Hit Me Head-On"
The chase extended over several streets between the main train station and Matzleinsdorfer Platz. While the driver of the 125cc machine attempted to evade a patrol car, a police officer suddenly blocked his path on Argentinierstraße. "My plan was to pull him off the scooter. He saw me. He accelerated fully and hit me head-on," the 27-year-old officer described to the judge.
After the collision, the motorcycle crashed into the display window of a shop, the driver remained largely uninjured and was able to be arrested. "I got off lightly," explained the police officer, attributing this to his protective vest. He only suffered a bruise on his left knee and bruises and hematomas on his elbows. He has been back on duty since January 23.
Already Fled from Police in Vienna in the Summer
In the course of further investigations, it was revealed that the motorcyclist had already engaged in a chase with other law enforcement officers on July 23, 2024, who also wanted to subject him to a traffic check. This high-speed chase spanned half of Vienna, with the 30-year-old running red lights at intersections, occasionally using the sidewalk, and endangering pedestrians who were crossing legally by not stopping. When a police vehicle blocked his path with open doors on Schönbrunner Straße, he deliberately steered his bike into a door to continue his escape.
Due to this initial high-speed chase, from which the 30-year-old successfully escaped, he was remanded in custody on January 11 due to the risk of committing further offenses. The defendant, originally from Chechnya, pleaded guilty to endangering physical safety in two cases, twice resisting state authority, and causing serious bodily harm. During his interrogation, he referred to "chronic depression," which he attributed to his childhood and youth in Grozny: "I was born under Russian bombs. I am a severely traumatized boy. I have never worked through my traumas."
Confession and Childhood Trauma
To combat his "demons," he bought a motorcycle last June: "The motorcycle sometimes gives me a sense of freedom that nothing else can. It was the only thing that pulled me out of this deep hole." The 30-year-old emphasized that he did not want to endanger or injure anyone. He claimed he wanted to avoid the police officer. He was unaware that he endangered other road users, including pedestrians: "Apparently, I didn't notice it under adrenaline." Additionally, he was under the influence of drugs during both incriminated rides: "To my detriment, I do not make rational decisions under drugs."
With a potential sentence of up to three years, the judge considered an unconditional prison sentence of two years as "just about appropriate to the guilt and the act," as he emphasized. The 30-year-old had four relevant prior convictions. In 2015, he was sentenced to four years in prison in Paris for theft with violence, kidnapping, and unlawful detention. After serving this sentence, he returned to Austria, where he was first criminally convicted in 2010.
(APA/Red)
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