Bride-to-be dies in tragic tractor accident during hen party
A bride-to-be has died and two other guests remain fighting for their lives, after they were thrown from a tractor that overturned at a hen party.
Jasmin Schwarnthorer, 26, was celebrating with her best friends before she was set to marry her fiancé Bernhard in October.
The bride-to-be was standing on a tractor-pulled trailer which was driving her away from her parental farmstead in the Austrian town of Allhartsberg when the tragic accident happened.
Her 25-year-old brother Patrik was reportedly driving the tractor around a corner when the trailer suddenly flipped over while 14 women were standing on it.
According to reports, Ms Schwarnthorer hit a stone wall in her fall and was taken by helicopter to a hospital in the city of Linz in a critical condition.
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Five other women were also severely injured, while seven others were treated for light injuries.
A few days after the accident, Ms Schwarnthorer succumbed to injuries to her head and chest.
Her niece and one of her friends are still in a critical condition in hospital.
According to local media, the accident happened when Patrik had to dodge a cyclist on the road while driving too fast round the corner.
The police have started an investigation involving Patrik on the suspicion of involuntary manslaughter as the trailer was only fixed with one axle and was not legally roadworthy to transport people.
Police chief Johann Baumschlager said: “The transport was illegal. The vehicle can only be used in agricultural operations or in the forest.”
Ms Schwarnthorer’s memorial service took place last Friday in the local church.
She was placed in the coffin dressed in her white bridal gown.
Friends and family said they remember her as a loving and caring person “who always put the well-being of others in front of her own”.
She worked as a nurse and was active in the traditional music ensemble of the town.
The pastor said: “Why do we have to accompany Jasmin today on her last journey and not to her wedding?”
– Australscope
