Did two children have to die because two adults tried to prove to each other who drives the faster car? Among other things, because of murder, a 40-year-old is before the Hanover Regional Court. The woman is accused of having a forbidden car race with a 40-year-old in February 2022 behind the outskirts of Barsinghausen.
About 500 meters she is said to have raced into the oncoming lane to overtake her rival, initially on a straight stretch. According to the indictment, she lost control when she cut into a curve – at up to 180 kilometers per hour. There were collisions with oncoming cars.
The car of a family of four was thrown into a paddock – “like a billiard ball,” said a police officer on Friday. The two- and six-year-old sons in the back seat died “although they were buckled up appropriately for their age,” as the prosecutor emphasized. Their parents and the driver of another car were seriously injured. A speed of 70 km/h was allowed on the route. No alcohol or drugs were found on the suspects. Both are parents themselves, were on their way home from work on a Friday afternoon.
The defendant shows remorse
“I would like to sincerely apologize to all those who were injured and to the bereaved, although I realize that this remorse cannot undo the accident,” said the accused in tears. She was arrested in Poland in September and is in custody. “At first I was glad to have come out of the wreck alive, albeit seriously injured.” When the shock wore off, she wished she had died instead of the two children. “It was almost unbearable to live with this guilt, especially since I have three children myself.”
However, she denied having organized a race with the other car driver who was also accused. “I had no intention of competing with anyone,” said the Polish woman, a petite, long-haired woman who already has one grandchild. Contrary to expectations, the other driver, who was unknown to her, accelerated when she actually wanted to end the overtaking manoeuvre. At that moment she made the wrong decision – she was afraid to slow down in the curve.
The 40-year-old is accused, among other things, of being an accessory to murder. He had his defense attorneys read a statement. Accordingly, he had heard music on the straight line and was thinking of his family. He said he only noticed the woman’s car when the hood appeared to his left. He then braked to make room for the overtaking vehicle. The defendant expressed his “sincere condolences” to the parents of the brothers who were killed.
Difficult proof
According to the presiding judge, the crux of the proceedings will now be whether intent to kill is determined. According to the indictment, the 40-year-old is said to have accepted an accident with a fatal outcome for the occupants of the oncoming vehicles. One’s own car was used to commit the crime, thus fulfilling the murder criterion of using a “dangerous substance”. In relation to the injured occupants of the other cars, she is accused of causing dangerous bodily harm.
Both defendants also have to answer for participation in a prohibited motor vehicle race resulting in death and endangering road traffic. They both sat behind the wheel of high-powered vehicles, she drove a sedan with around 250 hp, he drove an SUV with 310 hp as a company car.
Ambulance, helicopter, police and fire brigade were quickly at the scene of the accident on February 25, 2022. Helpers tried in vain to revive the two-year-old there, the six-year-old died a few hours later in the hospital. There is also a video of the accident from a dashcam attached to a car that was driving behind the family car that was thrown through the air.
On March 2nd, witnesses to the alleged illegal race and the subsequent horror accident are to be heard. A total of ten days of negotiations are scheduled for the process. According to this plan, the verdict could be pronounced on March 30th.
