Deer Killed By Train, Stolen By Train Driver, Later Caught Drunk Driving
January 26, 2021 – Road kill we've heard of. But rail kill? One Slavonia deer killed by train was due to end up on the dining table of a train driver, who stopped his train to stuff the dead deer into his cab, before later being caught drunk driving with the decapitated animal in his trunk
Road kill we've heard of. But rail kill? One Slavonia deer killed by train was due to end up on the dining table of a train driver, who stopped his train to stuff the dead animal into his cab. Alas, the čobanac (a spicy, wild meat stew, popular in Slavonia) was not meant to be. He was caught drunk-driving the next day by police at a traffic stop in Vinkovci and arrested.
It's perhaps easy to understand the train driver not wanting to look such a gift horse, or deer, in the mouth. This is not the first deer killed by train or car within the wild rural landscape of Slavonia. With the unfortunate collision having offered the opportunity for fine dining, the train driver apparently had a one track mind.
However, with the benefit of hindsight, it was perhaps not the best i-deer to retrieve the sizeable body of the deer killed by train to save for a later feast. Less easy to forgive is that he was caught with the deer while driving his car under the influence of alcohol. Such foolhardiness is no way to go about covering your tracks.
Police halted the man around 5pm on January 12 at a regular traffic roe-d stop and breathalysed him, as they correctly suspected he had been drinking. The 56-year-old man, who had Vinkovci license plates was found to be under the influence of alcohol (1.22 g / kg). However, that was just the first of the finds on the stop.
Upon searching the car trunk, police discovered the decapitated corpse of a sizeable deer. It turned out the train driver had stopped his train the day before to retrieve the animal and placed it in the driver's cab for consumption at a later date. The animal was presumably being transported home – or to a local butcher – by car the next day. But, the traffic stop put an end to any notions of a free meal.
Cobanac, a hearty, spicy stew made in Slavonia using deer and other wild meats. Alas, it was not meant to be © Youtube screenshot
The deer corpse was confiscated and handed over to the hunting society of Stari Mikanovac for safekeeping until a warrant for an autopsy was obtained in order to determine the cause of death. Pursuant to the order of the Vinkovci Municipal State Attorney's Office, the examination of the deer carcass was performed by the Vinkovci Veterinary Institute.
For the appropriation of the deer, the police filed a complaint at the Municipal State Attorney's Office in Vinkovci against the 56-year-old for the criminal offence of theft. For his inebriated driving, the man was issued a misdemeanour order, imposing a fine of HRK 5,000 and was banned from driving a "B" category vehicle for two months. Having been charged for both excess beer and excess deer, at the time of the police road stop you could say the game was well and truly up.
Beautiful Osijek to be Transformed into Tourist Magnet with 18 Million Kuna
January the 21st, 2021 - Osijek, one of Croatia's eastern cities, doesn't often find itself on the typical tourist map. Continental Croatia is still very much being discovered, with even Zagreb being relatively new on there when compared to the Adriatic coast and its wild popularity. Eastern Croatia is even more neglected, in almost every sense. Is all that about to change for beautiful Osijek?
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, the City of Osijek is investing a massive 18 million kuna into the renovation and refurbishment of a neglected historic space into a regional reception info-tourist centre in central Osijek. The facilities it is set to boast will promote the tourist attractions of Osijek, Osijek-Baranja County and the wider region of eastern Croatia in general.
The project is co-financed from European Union funds in the amount of 85 percent, and includes the reconstruction of an old Austro-Hungarian stable covering 40 thousand square metres, the construction of more roads and car parks, as well as a lot of landscaping.
“The group of contractors involved, the companies Kale and Binder, were all introduced into the works two weeks ago, and the deadline for completion of works is June 2022.
Through this project, we anticipate the creation of new jobs in beautiful Osijek, an increase in the number of visits to the city's tourist attractions and a number of new programmes for the development of cultural and natural heritage in regional destinations,'' said the Deputy Mayor of Osijek, Zana Gamos.
According to Kornelija Mlinarevic, head of the Administrative Department for European Union Programmes, a stop for buses and cars will be arranged next to the centre itself, and since it is located near the state road and two EuroVelo routes, part of the offer will be adapted to cyclists.
"After the realisation of this project for beautiful Osijek, this will be a place where there will be a special shopping area for authentic local and regional products, ATMs and exchange offices, as well as space for travel agencies and guides, toilets and other facilities," concluded Mlinarevic.
In addition, she explained, the City of Osijek plans to move GPP’s depot from its current space to the east of the city, which will open up space to build a prefabricated garage which will be able to accommodate as many as 345 cars.
This would move the curreny car park away from the city's fortress and enable its further development as a cultural and tourist centre of beautiful Osijek.
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