Penalty orders issued after roller coaster accident
Following the rollercoaster accident with around 30 injuries at the German Legoland park in Günzburg, Bavaria, two technical employees have been issued with penalty orders. However, both defendants are appealing against the penalty orders, meaning that a trial is now likely to take place.
As the Memmingen public prosecutor's office announced on Thursday, the 56 and 34-year-old men are said to have made mistakes when repairing a fault on the roller coaster, causing two trains, each carrying 19 visitors, to collide. One person was seriously injured in the accident in August 2022, the others slightly.
At the request of the public prosecutor's office, the Günzburg district court issued penalty orders against the two employees for 29 counts of negligent bodily harm. "Fines in the mid to low four-digit euro range were imposed on the defendants," explained senior public prosecutor Thorsten Thamm.
According to the court, however, appeals have already been lodged by the two defendants. If they are not withdrawn, the charges will have to be heard in a public trial in Günzburg. A date for this has not yet been set, reported Iris Gross, spokeswoman for the district court.
In the accident, a train on the "Feuerdrache" roller coaster at the Swabian amusement park collided with a train in front of it. The roller coaster was then out of operation for a long time for the police investigation and further work, but was reopened after two months.
According to the investigation, a malfunction had occurred in the amusement park, causing the two trains to come to a standstill. While trying to rectify the fault, the men are said to have inadvertently deleted a train from the railroad's control system, causing the accident.
The employees also allegedly failed to use the emergency stop system to prevent the collision. The 56-year-old had been working as a mechanic at Legoland for years. The 34-year-old, on the other hand, had only been working there as a technician for a few days. The accused are presumed innocent until the conclusion of the proceedings.
During their leisure time, the 56-year-old mechanic and the 34-year-old technician were repairing the faulty roller coaster. Unfortunately, due to the appeals against the penalty orders, potential accidents during the trial processes cannot be ruled out.
Source: www.dpa.com
