Gelsenkirchen.
The forklift driver who rolled over a man while maneuvering in 2022 was on trial in Gelsenkirchen. It decided mildly.
- In 2022, a man was fatally injured in a forklift accident in Gelsenkirchen.
- The man who drove the forklift was now on trial in Gelsenkirchen.
- However, both the prosecutor and the judge now saw no guilt in the accused.
Again and again, Hans-Jürgen L. bursts into tears. The events of July 4, 2022 changed his life. A man died in an accident in the Europastrasse industrial area in which he was involved. The 55-year-old is now before the Gelsenkirchen district court and has to answer for negligent bodily harm resulting in death.
The defendant was employed as a forklift driver at the time. A truck driver (57) from Poland had his vehicle loaded by the accused. After the loading process, Hans-Jürgen L. returned the loading papers to the man. The man parked his truck elsewhere and then went in the direction of Gate 5, the 55-year-old reported in court. Obviously he has deviated from the path. The paths that may be used are specially marked on the site.
Process in Gelsenkirchen: Not seen when reversing with the forklift
He then no longer saw the man, says Hans-Jürgen L. When manoeuvring, the 55-year-old reversed his truck, which was equipped with a lamp and warning light. However, he did not see the man behind the vehicle, who was not wearing a safety vest, and was run over by the forklift. The 57-year-old suffered serious injuries, including to the hip and suffered internal bleeding. He was treated at the scene of the accident by the ambulance service and an ambulance. He died later that afternoon in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest.
The accused explained in court that he was still traumatized today. He was on sick leave for seven weeks. He always has the images in his mind and has had several sessions with a psychologist.
Judge: “You must try to forgive yourself”
Both the prosecutor and the court concede that this terrible accident could also happen in normal traffic. Both see no fault in the accused in the accident. With the events and the tragic end, says judge Tanja Klumpe, the accused has been punished enough. She suggests temporarily suspending the procedure subject to conditions.
The lawyer for the co-plaintiffs, who represented the wife of the dead man and her son, also sees no culpable behavior on the part of the accused. This was also expressly confirmed by the survivors.
The public prosecutor agrees to the preliminary suspension of the proceedings and proposes a fine of 5,000 euros. Finally, those involved in the process agree on a sum of 4,000 euros. The defendant has to pay half to the widow and half to the son within six months. The accident, the judge says to the accused, will surely accompany him for the rest of his life. “You must try to be able to forgive yourself.”
Proceedings can be suspended subject to certain conditions (fine or compensation for the injured party) if the accused’s guilt is very low and the public interest in further criminal prosecution is very low. Upon payment, the experience will be definitively discontinued.
More articles from this category can be found here: Gelsenkirchen
