Dieter Althaus, the prime minister of the eastern German state of Thuringia has been charged with negligent manslaughter for his involvement in a fatal skiing collision with a 41 year old Slovak woman on New Year’s Day in Austria.

The mother of four who was not wearing a helmet suffered multiple head injuries and died at the scene. Mr. Althaus was wearing a helmet, but also suffered serious head injuries and spent some time in an induced coma in hospital following the accident, which experts estimated was at a combined speed of 60mph.

The sad event led to the rapid implementation of legislation to make helmet wearing compulsory for under 14s in Austria, matching an existing law in Italy. According to The Times, Austrian authorities predict 5,500 serious head injuries on the slopes this season and Swiss resorts report about 150 cases every day.

Christian Kaulfersch, an A&E doctor told The Times, “Crashes at 30mph are like falling onto concrete from a second-floor balcony.”