The trial of a fatal accident in which a four-year-old girl died in the Gera district court has begun.
To begin with, the defendant apologized to the victim's parents.
"I had absolutely no intention of ending the day like this," he said.
The 26-year-old is charged with negligent homicide.
According to his own statement, in January he drove to a snow-covered field in Gera with the child's father and another family.
There the children's sleds were tied to the cars and pulled across the field.
The adults had drifted across the field in their cars in between.
This is understood to mean the skidding of the car in which the rear axle breaks.
Lost control of the car
When he drove back to the group after such a maneuver, he lost control of his SUV and crashed into a parked van, he said in court.
Only later did he learn that something bad had happened.
According to prosecutors, the four-year-old was sitting on a sled behind the van and was trapped between the vehicles.
The girl's mother joined the proceedings as a joint plaintiff.
For the time being, only one negotiation date is set.
jpz / dpa