March 13, 2026, 11:20March 13, 2026, 11:20
In the trial surrounding the accident of a long-distance bus near Leipzig almost two years ago with four fatalities, the bus driver admitted a mistake.
The public prosecutor’s office accused the 64-year-old in court in the eastern German city of negligently causing the accident. The facts, as presented by the public prosecutor’s office in the indictment, are “completely accurate,” said Peter Pospisil, the bus driver’s lawyer.
“He is incredibly sorry for what happened. He would like to turn back time, he can’t,” explained the lawyer for the bus driver from the Czech Republic. His client was not a risky driver. Exhaustion, alcohol or drugs didn’t play a role. “It is a one-off negligent misconduct,” said Pospisil.
Four dead and 46 injured
The Flixbus long-distance bus was scheduled to travel from Berlin to Zurich on March 27, 2024. At almost 100 km/h, the bus skidded on the A9 motorway north of Leipzig, drove down an embankment almost two meters high and tipped over on its right side. Four women on the bus died and 46 other passengers were injured, some seriously.
The public prosecutor’s office has charged the bus driver with negligent homicide and negligent bodily harm before the Eilenburg district court. However, due to a larger room, proceedings are being held in the Leipzig Regional Court. Only one day of hearing is planned for the trial. (sda/dpa)