Austrian Olympic champion sentenced

The 36-year-old crashed his car into an oncoming car on Felbertauernstrasse near Mittersill on June 30, 2021. His 70-year-old driver was killed and his 69-year-old wife was seriously injured. The verdict is not yet legally binding.

The guilty verdict was made in accordance with the indictment. Karl was accused of negligent homicide and negligent bodily harm. The conditional sentence is subject to a probationary period of three years. “I'm terribly sorry for what happened. Unfortunately, I can’t undo it,” the athlete said in court. “Thoughts are always with those left behind.”

Benjamin Karl won the gold medal at this year's Olympic Games. © AFP / JEWEL SAMAD

The native of Lower Austria, who lives in East Tyrol, was on the way home from training on the day of the accident. According to the criminal complaint filed by the Salzburg public prosecutor's office, he is said to have initially driven through a gallery at excessive speed in bad weather. As we exited the gallery, the road was covered in hail. It was said that the accused skidded in violation of the rule of driving on sight. The top athlete's Audi slid into the oncoming lane and crashed into the oncoming Jeep of the couple from Pinzgau. According to emergency services, there was a storm in the accident area with heavy rain and hail.

From the defense's perspective, Karl was not criminally guilty, as his lawyer Oscar Weiß told the court APA – Austria Press Agency explained at the beginning of April. The tragic accident could not have been prevented due to a sudden hailstorm. Karl's car was unable to maneuver when leaving the gallery. Karl apologizes to his family According to media reports, the athlete sought psychological help after the accident in order to process the experience as much as possible. On the other hand, he visited the family of the victim to apologize and talk. Karl was quoted as saying that none of the survivors blamed him for the accident. His own family also gave him support.

“It was certainly a difficult way for him to get in touch with the family after the accident,” said the judge in the trial. Karl's remorseful confession and his integrity also had a mitigating effect. The snowboarder's defense attorney accepted the verdict, but the district attorney made no statement. The guilty verdict is therefore not yet legally binding.

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Austrian Olympic champion sentenced

The Austrian Olympic snowboard champion Benjamin Karl was sentenced to a three-month suspended sentence at the Zell am See district court on Friday for a fatal traffic accident in Pinzgau.

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