Fatal head-on crash in Tumeltsham: Motorcyclist dies after collision with drunk driver

Accident sequence on the B141a

The force of the impact threw both vehicles off the road. The motorcyclist sustained serious injuries and was taken to the hospital in Ried im Innkreis. As police stated: "Der Motorradfahrer erlitt schwere Verletzungen und verstarb wenig später im Krankenhaus Ried im Innkreis." The 66-year-old died there a short time later; doctors were unable to save his life.

The 56-year-old car driver, an Innviertel local, was physically uninjured in the crash. However, an alcohol test carried out on him showed an intoxication level of 2.2 per mille, according to the State Police Directorate. The man is now being investigated on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence, as the authority further announced. According to police, the man was still at the scene of the accident at the time of the test.

Investigation against the car driver

The exact circumstances that led to the head-on collision have not yet been conclusively determined, according to investigators. The B141a was closed in the area of the accident site for the duration of the cleanup and the investigations by the police. An expert was brought in to reconstruct the course of the accident. An appraisal on the exact driving behavior of the two parties involved was also announced.

The news of the death of the 66-year-old man triggered dismay in the Innviertel. The man had set off on a motorcycle ride on Thursday morning and never returned from it, according to police information. Relatives were notified after the identification. Police asked any possible witnesses who observed the accident to contact their nearest station.

Legal consequences

The legal consequences for the 56-year-old car driver now depend on the outcome of the ongoing investigation. In addition to criminal proceedings for manslaughter by gross negligence, he also faces revocation of his driving license and civil claims from the bereaved. In Austria, the per mille limit for car drivers is 0.5 per mille; the measured value of 2.2 per mille exceeds this limit many times over and also fulfils the offense of severe intoxication within the meaning of the Road Traffic Act.

Background and reactions

The case is part of a series of traffic accidents under the influence of alcohol in Upper Austria. In recent weeks alone, authorities had repeatedly warned of the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol. Police announced that they would swiftly complete the investigations and forward the case to the Ried im Innkreis public prosecutor's office for indictment.

The district of Ried im Innkreis and the neighboring district of Grieskirchen are rural regions in which motorcyclists frequently travel on federal and state roads. The B141a connects several places in the Innviertel and is considered a popular route among motorcyclists. At the time of the accident, the weather was dry according to police; no other road users were involved in the incident.