Flixbus Driver Convicted, Seven Years On
The driver of a Flixbus involved in a fatal crash on Zürich's Sihlhochstrasse in December 2018 has been definitively convicted. The Obergericht sentenced him to a 20-month suspended sentence for multiple counts of negligent homicide — slightly less than the 24 months handed down by the Bezirksgericht Zürich in May 2024. He waived his right to appeal to the Bundesgericht, making the November 2025 ruling final.
The crash happened in the early hours of 16 December 2018, when the bus struck the concrete wall at the dead end of the A3 motorway stub at around 68 km/h — far too fast given the snow-covered road and poor visibility. Despite an emergency brake attempt, the bus still hit the wall at nearly 50 km/h. Two people died, including one passenger who fell from the elevated road into the Sihl river below. More than 40 others were injured.
The driver, an Italian national, was absent from both trials on health grounds and will not serve time in prison. His defence had argued that the authorities bore responsibility for inadequate safety measures at the site — a claim that carried little weight. Shortly after the accident, the federal roads office installed concrete barriers at the motorway's end. A separate liability claim by the bus company was dismissed by the Bundesgericht.
