Federal Court
A murder verdict against a driver has permanent legal force
In September 2015, a man crashed his car into a couple in a crosswalk. The woman was dragged away. Why didn’t the driver stop?
Ten years after the death of a woman who was hit on a zebra crossing, the manslaughter verdict against the driver has become final. The Federal Court (BGH) in Karlsruhe announced that the defendant’s appeal had been rejected. The decision did not contain any legal errors that were detrimental to him.
In February 2024, the Frankfurt regional court sentenced the 34-year-old to life imprisonment for murder with indecent motives.
Woman dragged 400 meters
In September 2015, after a party in Kriftel (Main-Taunus district), the man drove out of control towards a couple who were kissing at a zebra crossing. BGH admitted he was upset because the couple did not agree with the route he had chosen. The man’s car hit the 41-year-old woman, her leg got caught in the wheel arch and she was dragged for about 400 meters. BGH found that the driver did not initially stop due to a “defiant attitude”. The woman died at the scene of the accident. His colleague suffered minor injuries as a result of the collision with the car.
The first revision was successful
This is the second decision in this case. At the first trial, the defendant was sentenced to five and a half years in prison by the same regional court in 2018. The Public Prosecutor appealed, BGH overturned the verdict and handed over the trial process to another jury.
dpa
