The accident dates back four years and ended with the death of a 39-year-old police officer. Another officer suffered critical injuries, while three others were lightly injured.
During the night of 13 April 2018, a motorist attempted to avoid a police control near Wemperhardt. Officers at the scene realised that the driver was trying to flee and started a pursuit. However, they were unable to locate the motorist, who hid at a car park in Weiswampach.
Near Lausdorn, police stopped to ask a motorist if they had seen the fugitive car. At that point, a second police van, which was also pursuing the earlier driver, failed to break in time and crashed into the first police vehicle.
A 39-year-old officer died as a consequence of the collision, while another suffered critical injuries. To this day, it is unclear who is to blame for the fatal incident.
The question of responsibility is particularly pertinent in the case of the fugitive driver. In March, the court of appeals decided to discard a charge of involuntary manslaughter.
Nevertheless, during this week’s trial, the motorist will have to appear in court for drink driving and avoiding a police check. The man is at risk of being sentenced to up to five years in prison.
The main defendant will be the officer who drove the second police van. He will be on trial for involuntary manslaughter and involuntary injuries.
The trial is expected to last four days.
