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13. 08. 09. - 17:00

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13. 08. 09. - 17:00

Punks threaten Vienna couple with pistol and sword

By William Green

Two punks in a silver Mercedes threatened a Vienna couple with a gas pistol and a Japanese sword yesterday (Weds) in Vienna-Brigittenau.

One of the punks, aged 20 and 21, gave the couple, riding in a Chrysler Voyager in an adjoining lane on Adalbert-Stifter-Straße, the finger at 12:30pm.

Police said today the couple verbally responded, and an argument ensued. When both cars had to stop at a traffic light, the 21-year-old driver of the Mercedes got out holding a gas pistol and a Japanese sword and threatened the couple.

Both cars then proceeded on their way. When they both stopped again on Universumstraße, the driver of the Mercedes threatened the couple with the pistol, his passenger with the sword.

The couple then drove away and managed to elude the punks. The couple called the police, who quickly tracked them down.

The punks said they had acted as they had because they had "felt insulted" by the couple. Police cited both of them for having made a dangerous threat.

The incident was the second reported instance of road-rage in Austria this week.

A Styrian man was left in hospital after another driver attacked him with a car wing mirror after a motorway crash on Sunday.

The 23-year-old from Leoben said he was attacked during an argument with a Turkish man after their two cars collided and slid off the road on the Pyhrn motorway (A9) in Styria.

He was taken to hospital for treatment of head injuries.

Police have identified the Turkish man, who drove off after the incident, as a 42-year-old living in Belgium.

Austrian Times

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