Basic Information
Susann Steiner, the 22-year-old wife of German Olympic gold medalist Matthias Steiner, died this month in a tragic car crash after a head-on collision of her small car with an SUV running on a wrong line of the road by a 57-year-old person. It took place just outside Heidelberg, in Germany, and the case very quickly became a much-publicized one, not least because of Matthias Steiner’s theatrical homage to his deceased wife at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Husband
Matthias Steiner is a highly renowned German weightlifter, best known for his tear-jerking victory during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he captured the gold medal in the super-heavyweight division. The moment was especially emotional when he dedicated his victory to his wife, Susann Steiner, who died in a car crash a year earlier. Weightlifter Matthias Steiner displayed a photo of Susann as he listened to the national anthem during the medal ceremony for what was one of the most unforgettable moments of the Olympics. It was a movement that said so much more than just the incredible strength he held in his features as an athlete; it demonstrated an undercurrent of love and sorrow in this man which millions upon millions of people could identify with the world over. Susann Steiner’s death touched Matthias to the core, and the affair ended up a turning point in his personal and professional life. His story goes to show how much an individual can go on to stand up once again and shine brightly, just like love does, not only in the field of sports.
The Accident and Its Aftermath in Court
In the killing of the cyclist Susann Steiner, the Heidelberg District Court found the driver guilty of involuntary manslaughter. The court judgment said the defendant was driving at least 15 kilometers per hour above the speed limit when the crash occurred. “If the defendant had driven within the authorized speed limit, the severity of the injuries which ended up killing Susann would have been considerably less,” so explained Judge Regina Kaufmann-Granda of the District Court of Heidelberg.
At the trial, he showed no memory of the event except another expression of apology for what had happened. The judge was not buying his explanation of amnesia. He told the court that if he actually passed out, he would have driven straight on and not swerved in a wild direction to cause the fatal crash.
The court sentenced him to ten months in prison, with the sentence suspended, and charged him a fine of 2,400 euros, or about $3,207. Fairly lenient, the sentence managed to keep him out of jail. In addition, he received a six-month suspension of his driving license, and at the expiration of this period, he may apply to the competent authorities for a new license.
Only the trial and the judgment could move Matthias Steiner, the gold medalist for the weightlifting event in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. At the moment of his medal ceremony, Steiner lifted a photo of his deceased wife, probably one of the most touching gestures of any Olympic Games.
Although the court confirmed his claim, Matthias Steiner was disappointed by the result of the trial. He said he was not primarily interested in the length of the sentence for the defendant, but more in the clarification of the happenings before the accident happened and an apology. Neither came and so it was more like a “black hole” than closure.
The Legacy of Susann Steiner
The untimely demise of Susann Steiner has created a big void for people who either knew or were following the progress that her husband was making at the Olympics. Even though she did not have any public net worth in her name, she was known through the story of Matthias Steiner as a world-class athlete on a global platform.
The death of Susann Steiner becomes a sad reminder that the consequences of reckless driving can be devastating, with the driver always meant to follow traffic laws. This case also vividly presents the emotional burden such tragedies bring to the relatives who lose their close people and find themselves in a difficult life-situation afterwards.
Conclusion
The news that Susann Steiner lost her life to a road traffic accident caused by the excessive speed of another driver swept across a circle far larger than just those relatives and friends. He was convicted of driver manslaughter, and Matthias Steiner was facing these news with broken feelings. To the world of sport, the 2008 Olympic Games was Matthias’s very loud, strong testament to Susann, whose life was tragically ended due to carelessness.
