Court rejects appeal by Austrian supersonic skydiver of conviction for bodily harm

VIENNA – An Austrian court has rejected an appeal by supersonic skydiver Felix Baumgartner against a conviction and fine for punching a truck driver.

The case stems from a 2010 incident in Baumgartner's home city of Salzburg in which a motorist and a Greek truck driver got into an argument. A lower court in April found that Baumgartner took the motorist's side and hit the truck driver in the face.

Baumgartner denied having hit the truck driver but was fined €1,500 — nearly $2,000 — for bodily harm.

In explaining Tuesday's ruling Elisabeth Schmidbauer, who headed a three-judge appeals panel, said "there was no self-defense situation" on the part of Baumgartner.

Baumgartner did not attend the hearing in Salzburg. His stratospheric jump last month set a record.