Berlin: Trial of fatal SUV accident - defendant is said to have driven a car more often against medical advice

Enlarge image

Defendant (M.) with his lawyers in court: charges of negligent homicide

Photo: Paul Zinken / dpa

In the process of an SUV accident with four dead in Berlin-Mitte, the defendant commented on medical advice in the run-up to the accident.

After an epileptic fit around six months before the accident, a doctor told him that he should not drive a vehicle for three months, the defendant told the regional court. He strictly adhered to it for the first four weeks. After "no abnormalities" had been found during investigations, he had "occasionally driven shorter distances." From his point of view, it was "a recommendation, not a legal prohibition," said the 44-year-old.

Prosecutors accuse the defendant of having driven the car despite having structural epilepsy and brain surgery only about a month ago.

He was able to see that his health was not in a position to drive the vehicle safely.

The charge is negligent homicide and endangerment of road traffic.

The case had caused outrage nationwide.

On September 6, 2019, the driver had strayed off a street in the city center with his car.

The reason is said to have been an epileptic seizure.

The man rammed a traffic light, killed the four people on the sidewalk and broke through a site fence.

A three-year-old boy was among the victims.

OP because of a tumor in the head

In May 2019, he suffered the first epileptic seizure, said the defendant.

It happened in my sleep.

His wife called the ambulance.

He had received medication and assumed that it would prevent another attack.

"I also thought that if it happened during the day you would notice it and have it under control," said the defendant.

The man further explained that at the beginning of August 2019 a minimally invasive procedure was carried out in a clinic in Switzerland because of a small tumor in his head.

He was then advised not to drive for the next four weeks.

According to his memory, the fact that his fitness to drive would have to be neurologically examined after this time was not discussed.

His health was fine.

In addition, he continued to take the drug.

The trial will continue on November 3rd.

ptz / dpa