Married couple are killed when husband drives into the path of a train at a railway crossing in Austria a day after wife said she was moving to Monaco
- Markus and Nikoleta Leitner, 32 and 29, died instantly when they hit the train
- Couple leave behind three children including a baby in Styria, southern Austria
- Police said they cannot rule out the possibility the crash was a deliberate murder-suicide
A married couple have been killed by a freight train in Austria after a man drove onto a level crossing one day after his wife revealed she was moving to Monaco.
Three children including a baby were left orphaned when the Mazda, driven by 32-year-old Markus Leitner, crashed into a goods train at a level crossing in Neudorf Ob Wildon in the district of Leibnitz in the southern Austrian state of Styria.
Markus and his 29-year-old wife Nikoleta, who was in the passenger seat, were killed instantly, local media reports.
A married couple have been killed by a freight train in Austria after a man drove onto a level crossing one day after his wife revealed she was moving to Monaco
Three children including a baby were left orphaned when the Mazda, driven by 32-year-old Markus Leitner, crashed into a goods train at a level crossing in Neudorf Ob Wildon in the district of Leibnitz in the southern Austrian state of Styria
The level crossing did not have a barrier, but the warning lights were working at the time.
The train driver claimed that Leitner stopped before reaching the tracks, but then suddenly accelerated into the train’s path.
The train operator made an emergency stop, but could not prevent the train from crashing into the Mazda and dragging the vehicle for more than 328ft (100 metres).
Police spokesperson Fritz Grundnig said: ‘The possibility that the passenger was murdered while the driver took his life by suicide cannot be ruled out at this point.’
The train driver claimed that Leitner stopped before reaching the tracks, but then suddenly accelerated into the train’s path. Pictured: the car being pulled from the wreckage
Markus (left) and his 29-year-old wife Nikoleta (right) who was in the passenger seat, were killed instantly, local media report
Beauty therapist and stylist Nikoleta (pictured on her wedding day) announced on Facebook that she was leaving Austria for Monaco the day before her death
Beauty therapist and stylist Nikoleta announced on Facebook that she was leaving Austria for Monaco the day before her death.
She wrote: ‘Hello dear customers. I have some good news and some bad news for you.
‘The good news is, I am offering hair extensions for 150 EUR (£135).
The couple leave behind three children and a baby after their untimely death as they hit a moving train
She wrote: ‘Hello dear customers. ‘I have some good news and some bad news for you. ‘The good news is, I am offering hair extensions for 150 EUR (£135 ). The bad news is, the location of ‘Niko and Beauty’ is moving to Monaco.’
Police spokesperson Fritz Grundnig said: ‘The possibility that the passenger was murdered while the driver took his life by suicide cannot be ruled out at this point.’ Pictured on their wedding day
‘The bad news is, the location of “Niko and Beauty” is moving to Monaco.’
It is not yet known whether her husband was planning to move with her.
The investigation continues.