An 18 month suspended prison sentence, a fine and a driving ban of 30 months with potential for suspension - such was the prosecutor's recommendation in court on Wednesday, at a trial concerning a fatal accident which occurred in June 2017.
The defendant was charged with involuntary homicide after a woman aged 36 was killed in the accident between Schouweiler and Limpach.
The defendant lost control of his vehicle at a bend, which resulted in a full frontal collision with a tree. His passenger died on the spot.
The driver was found to have traces of cannabis in his bloodstream and had an alcohol level of 1.75 at the time of the crash. He had smoked a joint the day before the accident, but his big mistake was consuming too much alcohol before taking the wheel, said the prosecutor. The man was said to have been driving at 90 km/h before hitting the tree.
The defendant claimed to not remember much about the accident itself, although he said he had not driven too fast and had consumed between four and six beers prior to driving. He admitted it was his error which led to the crash, but refused to be named a speeder.
A former judicial police officer said in a statement that the location of the accident was not well-lit; however, at the time of the accident visibility was clear as weather conditions were neither wet nor foggy. Prior to hitting the tree, the vehicle hit a small wall.
The car itself was practically split in two pieces after the impact, and although the driver was able to climb out the vehicle himself, his passenger was not so lucky. The woman suffered severe head injuries, was stuck in the car and died at the scene.
Mme Nalepa, the lawyer for the civil party said it was regrettable that the defendant was able to call home twice after the accident, but failed to report it to the police or emergency services. Family and friends of the victim wished to hear the defendant's statement in court.
Jean-Paul Noesen, the defendant's lawyer, said that although the accident was caused by dangerous driving, his client had a clear record and did not have anything to hide regarding the accident.
The verdict will be confirmed on 4 December.
