17-Year-Old Steals Car During Test Drive and Seriously Injures 21-Year-Old in Vienna-Donaustadt

Escape with the stolen car

During the initial investigations, it emerged that he does not hold a valid driving license. The 17-year-old allegedly continued driving and steered directly at the man. The suspect allegedly continued his journey undeterred and steered directly at a 21-year-old. He was struck by the vehicle and thrown to the ground.

He drove deliberately toward a 21-year-old man on the street. He was struck by the vehicle, thrown to the ground, and seriously injured. The 21-year-old was struck by the vehicle and thrown to the ground.

The vehicle owner managed to locate the current position of the stolen vehicle and notify acquaintances who were nearby. The vehicle owner was able to determine the location of the stolen car via a tracking function and alerted acquaintances who were in the vicinity.

Vehicle located on Industriestraße

When they spotted the car on Industriestraße in the 22nd district, a 21-year-old stepped onto the roadway and tried to get the driver to stop. One of the witnesses attempted to signal the driver to stop with hand gestures, but the 17-year-old could not be deterred. One of them stepped onto the roadway and tried to signal the driver to stop with hand gestures.

The driver fled in an unknown direction. The teenage driver initially fled but was stopped and arrested shortly afterward by police officers from the Donaustadt City Police Command. Alerted officers from the Donaustadt City Police Command were nevertheless able to stop the 17-year-old shortly afterward and place him under provisional arrest; he is in police custody.

Arrest by Donaustadt police

The victim received initial emergency care from Vienna's professional rescue service and was immediately taken to hospital. He received emergency medical care from Vienna's professional rescue service and was taken to a hospital. Vienna's professional rescue service treated him on the scene and transported him to a hospital with serious injuries.

The injured man is receiving medical treatment. The perpetrator is in police custody. The State Criminal Police Office Vienna, branch West, has taken over the further investigations.

State Criminal Police Office investigations

A 17-year-old Austrian citizen is suspected of stealing a car during a test drive yesterday evening and using it to run over a 21-year-old man, seriously injuring him. In Vienna-Donaustadt, a 17-year-old allegedly stole a car during a test drive and seriously injured a 21-year-old on Saturday, July 11, 2026.

The police also pointed out that the suspect did not hold a valid driving license at the time of the offense. He is therefore not only suspected of theft and grievous bodily harm, but also of a number of other offenses related to driving a motor vehicle without the appropriate license.

According to the current state of the investigation, the 21-year-old who was struck by the vehicle on Industriestraße is a different person than the 23-year-old vehicle owner. The acquaintances who had located the car were, by their own account, in the vicinity of the location by coincidence.

Industriestraße in Vienna's 22nd municipal district (Donaustadt) is a multi-lane traffic artery used both by local residents and through-traffic. At the time of the incident on Saturday evening, the road was busy, as can be seen from witness statements received so far.

Witness appeal and further proceedings

The State Criminal Police Office Vienna, branch West, has taken over the further investigations. The criminal investigators will, among other things, have to clarify how the teenager obtained the vehicle key, whether he had a plan before the test drive, and whether other persons were involved in the offense.

The Vienna Police request any further witnesses who made suspicious observations in the area of Industriestraße in Vienna-Donaustadt on Saturday evening to contact the Donaustadt City Police Command or the State Criminal Police Office Vienna, branch West.

No further details on the 21-year-old victim's condition were initially available on Sunday morning. The treating physicians withheld the further prognosis; the police announced that, if necessary, further details on the degree of injury would be released in the course of the investigation.

The 17-year-old suspect was held in police custody on Sunday. No further details were initially known regarding possible upcoming interrogations or any transfer to a correctional facility or a juvenile institution. The investigators also made no initial comment on whether the teenager had previously come to the attention of law enforcement.

The exact circumstances under which the 17-year-old deliberately drove at the 21-year-old on Industriestraße are still the subject of the ongoing investigation. The police did not rule out, at least at the present time, that the suspect perceived the man deliberately as an obstacle in order to continue his escape.

For the Vienna Police, the incident is part of a series of offenses involving motor vehicles being driven without the appropriate license. In recent weeks alone, there have been repeated accidents in Vienna in which young drivers without a license have been involved in serious traffic offenses.

The investigations by the State Criminal Police Office Vienna, branch West, are ongoing. If the suspicion against the 17-year-old is confirmed, the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office will have to decide on further criminal law steps. Since the accused is a juvenile, juvenile criminal law applies.