D6 motorway attack on a driver near Prague: what the attacker faces

Police have released footage of a driver's aggressive behavior on the D6 motorway near Jesenice in the Rakovník district. The man first slammed on his brakes in front of a woman who was keeping to the posted speed limit in a roadworks zone, then forced her to stop, got out of his car and began beating her. Her eight-year-old daughter saw it all.

The attack was recorded by a dashcam, which, according to police, the man tried to seize. The girl managed to hide it under the seat. Officers have informed the driver that he is suspected of attempted bodily harm, disorderly conduct and attempted theft.

Traffic law attorney Jan Skotnica explains in an interview with Seznam Zprávy what other offenses may come into play and what punishment the attacker could face.

“It was a deliberate act”

In the lawyer's view, the main aggravating factor is premeditation. The man overtook the woman, stopped, got out and walked to her car, and she posed no threat to him. In those moments he could have changed his mind and not attacked. “You cannot talk about an accident or coincidence. It was a targeted attack on the driver.”

The attorney regards the attempt to seize the dashcam as attempted theft: the intention to take the camera in order to cover his tracks was obvious. If the man said anything to the woman, it could also be classified as dangerous threatening, but that depends on the audio of the recording, which the lawyer has not seen in full.

A car as a weapon

How the beating is classified depends on the health consequences and the length of treatment: the options are Section 146 (bodily harm) or Section 145 (grievous bodily harm). According to Skotnica, neither negligence nor an excusable motive can be considered here.

Had the driver only braked sharply, then, judging by the intensity of the braking on the footage, the lawyer would assess it as a crime at the stage of attempted infliction of minor bodily harm, rather than a misdemeanor. Sudden braking can lead to a crash: the other driver has to react to an unexpected situation and may not manage in time. At a speed of 200 kilometers per hour it could have serious consequences, at 50 it would more likely be attempted harm. And if the woman had been leading a column of twenty cars, the offense could even amount to general endangerment.

Can a car be considered a weapon? “Absolutely. Given its size, mass and kinetic energy, it can cause serious harm to health or property. In my view it meets every definition of a weapon.”

What the driver faces

The punishment depends on the offender's past. For a first-time offender, a suspended sentence or a fine is possible, and because the crime was linked to driving, almost certainly a ban on driving all motor vehicles as well. For a repeat offender the punishment would be harsher.

The lawyer does not expect actual prison time in this situation unless new circumstances emerge: as far as is known, the injuries are bruises and scrapes, although the psychological harm may be greater. “I would expect a suspended sentence, a fine and a strict driving ban.”

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz