Julia Marie Gaiser, 23, a three-time Salzburg state figure skating champion, was killed Thursday after being struck by a lorry while cycling in Salzburg, Austrian authorities and local emergency services said.
Police and Red Cross responders said Gaiser was hit at about 2:30 p.m. while trying to cross an intersection on a designated bike route as the truck turned right. Emergency personnel were unable to resuscitate her and she was pronounced dead at the scene, the Red Cross said. Local prosecutors have opened an investigation into the circumstances of the collision.
Authorities said a breathalyzer test on the truck driver returned a negative result. Early details from the scene suggested Gaiser may have been in the vehicle's blind spot as the lorry completed the turn, but investigators cautioned that a full determination of cause will depend on their inquiry.
Gaiser, originally from Brixen in the South Tyrol region of northern Italy, was studying at a university in Salzburg and competed for the Rot-Weiß Salzburg figure skating club. She won the Salzburg state championship three years in a row, in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and was widely regarded in local skating circles as a rising talent.
Friends and colleagues paid tribute to Gaiser in the hours after the accident, remembering her for both athletic drive and personal warmth. "She repeated exercises alone, trained even beyond the scheduled time, always trying to improve," one friend told the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero. Another said she was planning to become a coach and had been introducing children to figure skating through courses run by her club.
Andreas Jungmann, mayor of Brixen, told Italian broadcaster RaiNews that the town was "deeply shocked" by her death and described Gaiser as "not only an outstanding athlete, but also a role model for many." The Salzburg Ice Team issued a statement saying Gaiser "with her talent, discipline, and charisma, left an unforgettable mark on the ice" and described her as a radiant presence off the rink.
Witnesses and well-wishers left candles at the scene in tribute, local media reported. Police said they will review traffic camera footage, speak to witnesses and examine the vehicle involved as part of the investigation. Prosecutors did not immediately say whether any charges would be brought pending the results of the inquiry.
The collision adds to broader concerns about cyclist safety on urban roads in Austria and elsewhere, where blind spots around large vehicles and conflicts at junctions are known risk factors. Authorities have in recent years emphasized measures including separate cycle lanes, clearer markings at intersections and campaigns to raise awareness among drivers and cyclists, but officials said on Friday that investigating the exact sequence of events in individual crashes remains essential to determine responsibility and to inform any potential safety measures.
Relatives and friends continue to gather in Salzburg and Brixen to mourn Gaiser. Her parents, Markus and Elke, were mentioned in tributes, and skating clubs in the region have expressed condolences as the investigation proceeds and authorities work to establish the full facts surrounding the fatal collision.