Driver Crashes into Bus During Police Pursuit in Vienna

In the early hours of Saturday, a police pursuit in Vienna took a tragic turn when an 18-year-old man crashed his vehicle into a city bus. The incident occurred around 5:00 AM on Gaudenzdorfer Gürtel, after officers attempted to stop the driver, who was allegedly smoking a joint while behind the wheel.

Despite multiple attempts by law enforcement to signal him to pull over, the young driver ignored the commands and accelerated, leading to a high-speed chase through the city streets. He disregarded traffic signals and navigated against the flow of traffic on several occasions, notably on Triester Straße.

The chase ended when the vehicle collided with a bus at the intersection of Davidgasse and Neilreichgasse. The impact was severe, trapping the driver inside his car. Emergency services were called to the scene, and firefighters had to extricate him from the wreckage. The driver sustained a critical polytrauma and was rushed to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

His 15-year-old female passenger, as well as the 44-year-old bus driver, were fortunate to have only sustained minor injuries. At the time of the collision, the bus was operating without any passengers.

Authorities have revealed that the young man did not possess a valid driver's license at the time of the accident. The police have initiated an investigation to further understand the circumstances surrounding this reckless driving incident.

This event highlights ongoing concerns regarding road safety and the dangers of impaired driving, particularly among young and inexperienced drivers.