German Politician Found Guilty of Causing Death by Negligence After Skiing Collision

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Started by Bandit in Ski Chatter 03-Mar-2009 - 10 Replies

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Bandit posted Mar-2009

The woman he collided with, died from multiple head injuries.

A German state premier has been charged with manslaughter over a collision on an Austrian ski slope in January in which a woman died.

Dieter Althaus, minister-president of Thuringia state, is accused by Austrian prosecutors of failing to observe regulations while skiing at high speed.

Full article on the BBC..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7919790.stm

Edit: Title updated to reflect the courts decision.

Edited 1 time. Last update at 03-Mar-2009

Bandit
reply to 'German Politician Found Guilty of Causing Death by Negligence After Skiing Collision' posted Mar-2009

The trial has been held, and a guilty verdict reached. He was fined 33,000 Euros, plus 5,000 Euros compensation for the relatives of the woman who died.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=amKNx15F_jPk&refer=germany

Dave Mac
reply to 'German Politician Found Guilty of Causing Death by Negligence After Skiing Collision' posted Mar-2009

Sobering thought. I got wiped out by a boarder in January, at a piste junction. He was out of control, yet it was evident he was a competent boarder.

Hopefully, there will not be too much of this.

Heck, there was me looking to get through the 100kph on the speed trap in N. this week. Maybe, maybe not.

Bandit
reply to 'German Politician Found Guilty of Causing Death by Negligence After Skiing Collision' posted Mar-2009

Dave Mac wrote:Sobering thought. I got wiped out by a boarder in January, at a piste junction. He was out of control, yet it was evident he was a competent boarder.

Hopefully, there will not be too much of this.

Heck, there was me looking to get through the 100kph on the speed trap in N. this week. Maybe, maybe not.

Not too much of which aspect of this horrible incident?

Piste collisions are on the increase.

Hit and run on the slopes is reportedly on the increase.

Slope user speeds are reportedly on the increase, with some resorts now zoning parts of resorts with speed limits.

Criminal prosecutions are now being reported in the European press, maybe they've been taking place for years? I was invited to bring charges for assault by the French police, against the woman who broke my collarbone, and that's going back to 2005.

IceGhost
reply to 'German Politician Found Guilty of Causing Death by Negligence After Skiing Collision' posted Mar-2009

Are you going to do it?

Uh oh, I think I broke'd the lift

Calvahead
reply to 'German Politician Found Guilty of Causing Death by Negligence After Skiing Collision' posted Mar-2009

It’s a tragic accident but hopefully a wake up call to people to ski/board with control and within their ability. There was an accident in Valais recently between and English and I think Dutch skier where one of them died. The mountain is a dangerous place and should be treated with caution and respect at all times. People on holiday are in their own little bubble, they relax and forget everything that’s going on around them and seem more than happy for themselves and their children to ski around forgetting the basic rules of the piste with no regard for anyone else around them. Everyone should be able to enjoy the mountain without fear of being injured or worse by others, accidents will always happen but there are lots of thing we can do the avoid it.

Have fun and be safe is the message

www Ski property 4 Vallées www.skiproperty4vallees.com

AJ
reply to 'German Politician Found Guilty of Causing Death by Negligence After Skiing Collision' posted Mar-2009

Does this mean that the state will get the 33,000 and the family a paltry 5,000.Not that any amount of money will bring back those children`s mother, But in IMO its a meager amount to pay. No doubt this amount of money to a politician is nothing but small change,I think he`s got off lightly.

I have to agree with Bandit in that people`s respect for other piste user`s is slowly diminishing,Or am i now more aware of it now i have children.
Of cause there are going to be unavoidable accident`s or incident`s, But when it boil`s down to being just total reckless it`s not on.
Be aware of other skier`s and stay safe and most of all have FUN.

AJ Adele

Bandit
reply to 'German Politician Found Guilty of Causing Death by Negligence After Skiing Collision' posted Mar-2009

IceGhost wrote:Are you going to do it?

No, as I would have needed to pursue it at the time. I was too messed up with the break,(16 weeks to knit) and French law is not robust enough in this area to make it straightforward. All I could see was me spending out on attending court in France, costs for lawyers etc and no result. The woman that ran into me was sorry, initially she was hysterical (so I'm told). Hopefully she went on to ski more slowly through crowded crossing points thereafter.

Off piste is way safer.

Topic last updated on 04-March-2009 at 19:15

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