A smuggler who is said to have crashed into army soldiers in a box van while fleeing a border check in Bildein (Güssing district) last January was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in Eisenstadt on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old Moldovan confessed that he hit the gas for fear of being caught. His 22-year-old passenger also pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to two years in prison. A soldier just managed to jump to the side in front of the van, the prosecutor emphasized. The 26-year-old then continued to race down an unpaved dirt road, lost control of the vehicle and ended up in a field. Judge Birgit Falb said he endangered the 14 refugees who were not wearing their seat belts, even if they were ultimately unharmed.
The accused was initially able to flee on foot, but was arrested a few days later in Hungary. He was charged with smuggling, resisting state authority, attempting to cause serious bodily harm and endangering the community. The passenger, who was only charged with smuggling, was arrested immediately after the accident.
Initially, there was also an investigation into attempted murder because it was assumed that the Moldovan had fired shots in the direction of a soldier while fleeing. According to the public prosecutor’s office, however, this could not be proven in the end, and the accusation was dropped.
Both defendants apologized in court and stated that they had carried out towing due to financial problems. They accepted the judgments that were not yet final. The prosecutor’s office gave no explanation.
Source: Nachrichten
