Bobsleigh accident in Altenberg: Investigation closed

The Dresden public prosecutor's office has closed its investigation into the serious four-man bobsleigh accident during training for the World Cup in Altenberg. This was announced by the authority on Friday. According to the statement, there are no indications "that the sled or the ice channel were tampered with. There are also no indications that safety guidelines were violated by the operator of the ice channel, which were the cause of the injuries," said a statement from the public prosecutor's office.

"First and foremost, a speedy recovery for Sandro Michel. We as a team around the track expected nothing less, as safety is always our top priority. Nevertheless, we have to draw our conclusions from every accident and take further steps," track boss Jens Morgenstern told the German Press Agency on Friday.

Swiss bobsleigh pusher Sandro Michel suffered serious injuries to his chest and pelvis when his world-class pilot Michael Vogt crashed in curve 13/14 during training in Altenberg on February 13. The 210-kilogram sled with three crew members weighing a good hundred kilograms had slid uncontrollably back into the track from the uphill finish bend and hit the lying Michel, who had been thrown out, with full force.

According to dpa information, the track doctor and the emergency doctors who rushed to the scene by helicopter were at the scene of the accident as quickly as possible and not only saved Michel's leg, but above all his life. "To date, four operations have been necessary to ensure my survival and to patch me up to some extent," Michel wrote from his hospital bed on Instagram at the beginning of March. The Swiss bobsleigh association Swiss Sliding then demanded that the IBSF establish a safety commission and appoint a safety delegate.