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Regional court in Berlin (archive picture)
Photo: Schöning / imago images
A 25-year-old man is said to have been way too fast behind the wheel of a high-powered car in Berlin-Mitte and caused a fatal accident.
Around two and a half years after the death of a 26-year-old pedestrian, the trial against the 25-year-old has begun.
The defendant said before the Tiergarten district court that he was "not a passionate speeder, but a person who drove too fast."
The charge is negligent homicide.
The mother of the victim, the former Bavarian local politician Stephanie Countess Bruges-von Pfuel, sat opposite the alleged speeder as a co-plaintiff.
After the first day of the trial, she left the courtroom in silence.
A judgment is expected tomorrow, Wednesday.
The 25-year-old is said to have driven on March 20, 2019 at around 7.30 p.m. in the Mitte district at a speed of up to 82 kilometers per hour.
He hit the 26-year-old when he wanted to cross Chausseestrasse.
"He drove strongly accelerating into the left lane," it says in the indictment.
"After braking, there was a collision with at least 67 km / h." The pedestrian was thrown against the windshield of the car and then over the vehicle roof into the oncoming traffic.
Prosecutor: Accident could have been avoided
The man died a week later from his serious injuries.
According to the public prosecutor's office, the accident would have been avoidable had the maximum speed of 50 kilometers per hour been observed.
The defendant had his lawyer explain that he had been in a friend's car to pick up medicine.
On the way he drove to a gas station to clean the car.
Because no box was free, he left "annoyed and quickly".
When he turned into Chausseestrasse, he accelerated to get into the left-turn lane.
"It didn't feel too fast in the car."
The pedestrian suddenly appeared and must have run, according to the alleged speedster.
"I wondered if he was being followed." He was also blinded by the oncoming traffic.
He couldn't prevent the collision.
Since the accident he is "no longer the same person" and in therapy.
A technical appraiser said the pedestrian had entered the street between two parked cars and wanted to cross quickly "at a jogging pace".
He had previously looked left and right.
The view was good.
The defendant was traveling in a 455 hp car.
"The driver came from a petrol station and accelerated sharply." The pedestrian must have made a "retreating movement".
ptz / dpa
