April 28 is drawing to a close when Peter B. makes his way home. In order to make the route through the inner city of Linz more comfortable, the young Micheldorfer borrowed an e-scooter. When the 26-year-old turns into Bürgerstrasse, a civil patrol by the police notices a motorcyclist a few hundred meters away.
The 24-year-old is traveling far too fast on Dametzstrasse with his Yamaha, disregarding restricted lines, overtaking once on the left and then on the right again. The officers turn on the blue light, briefly give him the signal with the following tone horn to end his rapid journey and to stop. But the 24-year-old steps on the gas.
Use was checked internally by the police
At well over 100 kilometers an hour, he sped away from the civil patrol, disregarding all traffic regulations and several red lights. The police follow-up turns out to be difficult. Unlike the motorcyclist, the officers stop briefly at the red lights so as not to put anyone in additional danger.
They are around 500 meters away when the 24-year-old’s escape comes to a tragic end. At the intersection between Humboldtstrasse and Bürgerstrasse, the traffic light for Peter B. turns green. He drives his scooter into the intersection just as the motorcyclist is racing across the street. A clash occurs shortly after half past ten in the evening – both young men die.
After the accident, there was consternation in Linz. When asked “why”, the police are also increasingly coming under criticism. One should never have taken up the pursuit, it is said in letters to the editor that reach the OÖN.
The official act has meanwhile been analyzed and checked internally by the police and with the help of witness statements. Should the officials have reacted differently? “No,” says police spokesman David Furtner.
“The officers did not chase or chase the motorcyclist through the city. The night drive happened at a great distance. But we have to show the traffic hooligans that we are there, and we cannot simply accept such massive violations to write down, “he says.
The situation was also very stressful for the two civil servants. “You tried to stop by activating the blue light, which is a common process that happens every day. But the motorcyclist completely freaked out and stepped on the gas,” says Furtner. It is now clear that the 24-year-old has never had a motorcycle license – even though he shared videos of rapid journeys at speeds of up to 299 kilometers per hour on social media. That evening he was out with racing tires that were not approved for use in traffic.
“The penalties for massive violations should be drastically increased. A vehicle seizure for such offenses would also be desirable,” says police spokesman Furtner.
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