LA PRIMAVERA

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Lock fully operational again

More than a year after the 'La Primavera' crashed into the Iffezheim lock (Rastatt district) on the Upper Rhine on Nov 25, 2023, ships can use both lock chambers again. The new upper gate is 25.5 meters wide and 11 meters high including the walkway. It is designed to operate for 70 years. Those responsible tested that the processes worked perfectly during more than 100 test locks without ship traffic. As of Jan 30, 2025 at 10 a.m., the lock is fully operational again, according to the Upper Rhine Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA). The badly damaged upper gate of the right chamber has been replaced. The district court in Kehl, Baden, as the responsible shipping court, sentenced the helmswoman to five months' probation. The 50-year-old caused the accident because she had drunk alcohol and then fell asleep. The woman has appealed against the decision to the Karlsruhe Higher Regional Court.

Defense of helmswoman filed appeal

After the verdict in the criminal case against the 50-year-old helmswoman of the 'La Primavera', the defense has filed an appeal. As the district court in Kehl, Baden, as the responsible shipping court, further announced, the next instance is the Karlsruhe Higher Regional Court as the so-called shipping court. The helmswoman of the "La Primavera" was sentenced to five months' probation in Kehl. The court ruled that she had caused the accident at the Iffezheim Rhine lock because she had been drinking at the helm and then fell asleep. According to the prosecution, the lock in the Rastatt district suffered damage of around 2.5 million euros. According to witnesses, the ship drove into the lock without slowing down. The defense pleaded for acquittal during the trial. The woman, who lives in the Netherlands, was on trial for negligently endangering shipping traffic. She testified in court that she was unconscious at the time.

helmswoman was sentenced to five months' probation after alcohol related accident

After "La Primavera" sailed into a closed gate of the Iffezheim Rhine lock without stopping, the helmswoman was sentenced to five months' probation. The 50-year-old woman caused the accident because she had been drinking and then fell asleep, ruled the shipping court in Kehl, Baden, on Nov 25, 2024. With its verdict, the court fell slightly short of the prosecutor's demand for six months' probation. "The alcohol was the cause of the accident," said prosecutor Martin Seifert. The defense, however, pleaded for acquittal. The woman was in court for negligently endangering shipping traffic. The verdict is not yet final. A defense attorney for the defendant left it open whether an appeal would be lodged. The defendant, who lives in the Netherlands, said she was unconscious at the time. She admitted to having drunk wine on the day of the accident in Nov 2023. She was later diagnosed with a heart condition. According to the prosecution, the accused's blood alcohol concentration at the time of the crime was at least 1.13 per mille. The radio traffic at the lock was also played during the trial. "Hey, Primavera, the gate is closed!" shouted a lock employee, without any reaction from the ship. There were also warnings via siren and loudspeaker. The helmswoman reported that she was in shock after hitting the lock gate and returned to her cabin. There she drank wine again to calm herself down. According to prosecutor Seifert, the structure in the Rastatt district of Baden-Württemberg suffered damage of around 2.5 million Euros. It must be completely replaced. In court it became clear that the repairs to the large lock in the Rastatt district are continuing to hinder shipping traffic there. It became clear in court that the defendant had already been sentenced to a fine in 2020 for an alcohol-related incident on the Rhine in Mannheim. The captain and owner of the ship from the Netherlands explained in court that she had promised him that something like this would not happen again.