"He acted unscrupulously" Car hooligan brings down cyclist - now he has to spend four years behind bars
Dashcams provide clear images of the dangerous maneuver in Zurich: a driver is convicted of attempted grievous bodily harm. Another incident also increases his sentence.
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- A car driver was sentenced to 50 months in prison in Zurich.
- He had harassed a cyclist and injured him in a risky maneuver.
- Dashcam footage played a central role in the trial and proved the dangerous behavior.
A 35-year-old driver has been sentenced to an unconditional prison sentence of 50 months by the Zurich District Court, as reported by the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper. Among other things, the court found him guilty of attempted grievous bodily harm.
The proceedings were triggered by an incident on Zurich's Rosengartenstrasse in April 2023. According to the court, the accused tailgated a cyclist in his VW Passat, honked, overtook on the right, crossed a safety line and ultimately collided with the cyclist.
Video recordings from dashcams that the victim had attached to his bike were decisive for the evidence. The cyclist fell after the collision and injured his shoulder and hand. The car driver continued his journey.
"The accused acted unscrupulously"
The recordings played a central role in the trial. According to the Federal Supreme Court, such private videos are only admissible as evidence in cases of serious criminal offenses - such as so-called speeding offenses, which also include particularly dangerous overtaking maneuvers.
The public prosecutor considered the behavior to be intentional and had originally demanded a conviction for attempted murder and six years in prison. According to the prosecution, the accused "acted unscrupulously" and accepted the death of the victim, reports the Tages-Anzeiger. The defense, on the other hand, spoke of an accident as a result of a "reckless overtaking maneuver", not of a deliberate act.
The court therefore only partially followed this argument. It clearly rejected a more lenient sentence: "This has not prevented you from committing further offenses in the past," explained the judge, referring to the man's previous traffic violations.
Torch thrown at rap concert
Another incident was also included in the verdict: In July 2024, the defendant had thrown a lit pyro flare into the crowd at a concert by US rapper Travis Scott. This was also classified as attempted grievous bodily harm.
However, there were differing opinions within the court: A minority even saw the offense of attempted intentional homicide as being fulfilled. The verdict is not yet final and can be appealed.
