Pillar Crash at Graben: Admission for 36-Year-Old
After driving a stolen van without a driver's license at excessive speed through the pedestrian zone in downtown Vienna on March 3, 2025, and ending with a collision with the base of the plague column at Graben, a trial was held against a 36-year-old at the regional court on Tuesday afternoon. According to a psychiatric report, the man was deemed incapable of responsibility at the time of the offense due to a bipolar affective disorder.
Drove into Plague Column with Stolen Van: Committal
Due to a lack of criminal responsibility, the 36-year-old was not tried for intentional public endangerment. Instead, the public prosecutor's office applied for the man's placement in a forensic-therapeutic center in accordance with § 21 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code, which a jury panel approved. However, the court considered the incident as a serious coercion.
Defense attorney Daniel Strauss disagreed with the decision. He announced an appeal against it.
36-Year-Old Confessed in Court
"I did that," said the 36-year-old, who appeared in court acknowledging his illness and willing to undergo treatment. He noticed the unlocked van at a construction site and "felt like the key was meant for me." Therefore, he started the vehicle. He emphasized that during the drive and beyond, "I never had the idea in my whole life that I could hurt someone," the 36-year-old stressed.
Before the drive, the mentally ill man had drunk six beers: "I quickly got a snack at the gas station." The people who were in the pedestrian zone at the time felt more than just uneasy when the van approached with a partially revving engine, the prosecutor emphasized: "In times of terrorist attacks, everyone has a corresponding awareness."
"I admit, I like driving"
"I admit, I like driving," the 36-year-old stated in his interrogation. Even though he currently does not own a driver's license, he is "a good driver." Fundamentally, his approach, even if cautiously and allegedly honking partially through the pedestrian zone, was "crazy," the man admitted: "I'm sorry that I caused so much trouble."
It was not the first action that had caused a stir. Before that, he had broken into a barracks in Salzburg and stolen an old fire truck parked in the basement to "go on a world tour," as he later told the police upon his arrest. Relatives of the man had informed the authorities.
(APA/Red)
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