In Germany, as you probably know, there are no speed limits on some parts of the Autobahn highway network. Which is of course just fine with motorists who like speed and cars that can give them some.
However, the country has strict rules and regulations on how its citizens should behave on the road, as a motorist who broke the rules recently and fled from the police learned the hard way. This bit of news comes courtesy the Carscoops website.
The man in question is a 23-year-old from Ludwigsburg, Germany, a town about 12 km north of Stuttgart. After doing burnouts at a location in the city in April, he fled when police arrived at the scene. Officers say he reached speeds in excess of 100 km/h in urban areas, while ignoring red lights, even driving on a sidewalk.
According to information shared by the local newspaper Stuttgarter Nachrichten, the police had trouble keeping up with his BMW. The responding officer was quoted as saying, “I got the most out of our police car and its 192 hp and I couldn't keep up. I gave up on Marienstrasse, because I couldn't drive 120 km/h responsibly there.”
The young man eventually stopped in the yard of a fire station. He later claimed he got panicked when he first saw the police, which caused him to flee. He noted that when he finally stopped, he calmed down and that when the police arrived, he already had his papers in hand for the authorities.
In court, the offender denied driving on sidewalks and ignoring traffic lights, but admitted to the speeding charges. In his defense, he cited the stress he experienced during the pandemic, including a loss of income. He added that he panicked when the police arrived at the scene.
The court acknowledged that the young man had consulted a psychologist about his behaviour and that he had been "understanding and compliant" after the incident. However, the penalty imposed was still heavy.
For one, the motorist had his license revoked for six months from the date of sentencing. For two, he was given three months to sell his BMW 440i and pay the state 7,000 Euros from the proceeds in fines. If he does not sell his vehicle, it will be confiscated.
Judge Anne Bollacher noted that the individual could have seriously injured pedestrians while fleeing, stating that “a fast car is not a toy, but becomes a weapon” in such circumstances.
Will the young man learn from his mistake? Only time will tell, but this is the kind of sentence that tends to make you think.
Would you like to see these kinds of sentences handed down in Canada?