Probation after driving insane

Created: 2022-01-25Updated: 2022-01-25 12:47 p.m

By: Ulrike Osman

Because a 44-year-old wanted to evade traffic control, he gave himself an almost cinematic chase with the police.

Now he was before the District Court of Landsberg.

(Icon image) © picture alliance / Frank Rumpenhorst/dpa/Icon image

Landsberg – It was like something out of an action movie.

Because he wanted to evade a traffic check, a 44-year-old from the southern district of Augsburg gave himself a hair-raising chase with the police.

It ended with heavily damaged cars and proceedings before the district court of Landsberg.

The allegations: coercion, intentional endangerment of road traffic and prohibited motor vehicle racing.

In the early afternoon of May 27 last year, the 44-year-old, who claims to be running a car repair shop at the time, drove in a black Audi on the A96 towards Lindau.

Shortly after the Echinger tunnel, a witness observed how the Audi drove past a column of several vehicles on the right and then even continued the overtaking maneuver on the hard shoulder.

The witness - who happened to be a police officer - alerted his colleagues.

At the Landsberg West exit, the Audi changed over the large roundabout onto the B17 in the direction of Augsburg.

A police patrol who was now hot on his heels observed him overtaking a truck on the right and tried in vain to get him to stop with a siren, flashing lights and a stop signal.

Only after the accused had left the B17 and driven into Igling did he stop.

He filmed the approaching police officers with his cell phone. On video played in court, he can be heard saying, "The cops are driving behind me. Let's see if that's going to be funny." After an exchange of words, he let the officials know that they were "officials of the Federal Republic of Germany GmbH". And then: "You can't do anything to me. I'll keep driving."

He then raced back onto the B17, now being followed by officers from the Landsberg Police Inspectorate and the Fürstenfeldbruck traffic police.

The 44-year-old drove off and on the B17 several times, reached a speed of more than 200 kilometers per hour even on country roads, endangered various oncoming vehicles during risky overtaking manoeuvres, drove over a traffic island with a traffic sign and was not stopped by roadblocks that had been set up in the meantime.

The chase only ended when the speeder had to stop behind other vehicles at a red traffic light in the Augsburg district of Inningen.

Even then, police officers had to smash the side windows of the Audi to get the man out of the car - he had locked the doors from the inside.

An examination revealed a blood alcohol level of 0.8 per thousand.

The property damage, including two damaged police vehicles, totaled around 33,000 euros.

In court, the now unemployed 44-year-old was recalcitrant and disrespectful, interrupted with heckling and made all sorts of absurd allegations.

When asked about his alcohol by Judge Michael Eberle, he explained that he drank a beer because otherwise he "nervously couldn't stand the hearing".

He suffers from high blood pressure and inner restlessness.

He covered his ears while the video he recorded played.

The 44-year-old was also outraged that his car key had been taken from him by police officers shortly before the start of the hearing.

There was a suspicion that he had chauffeured himself to court despite being under the influence of alcohol and being banned from driving.

The hearing was interrupted for a trip to take blood at the Landsberg Clinic.

The control showed a level of 0.6 per thousand.

The verdict was a one-year suspended prison sentence and a two-year driving ban.

However, the driver's license of the 44-year-old automotive technician was never found, and he has been banned from driving by decision since the crazy drive.

He now also has to do 40 hours of community service and pay a fine of 1,000 euros to a social institution.

Claims from the material damage that has arisen are expected to come up to him as well.

All those involved in the trial accepted the verdict while still in the courtroom.