German driver sentenced for drunk A4 ghost‑driving crash

A 50‑year‑old man drove a grey Opel Vivaro in the opposite direction on the A4 between Bad Hersfeld and Friedewald while heavily intoxicated (1.9 ‰) and without a valid licence. At around 22:38 on 16 October 2024 he collided head‑on with an Eastern‑European truck, causing no injuries but about €31 500 in property damage. The Bad Hersfeld District Court sentenced him by written order to six months’ imprisonment, suspended on probation, and ordered mandatory participation in an alcohol‑detox therapy programme.

The case was decided without a court appearance because the defendant failed to attend the scheduled hearing, and the judge relied on the case file and blood‑test results to determine the penalty.