A leading German politician is being investigated for manslaughter after he collided on an Austrian ski slope with a woman who later died from her injuries. Dieter Althaus, the governor of the eastern state of Thuringia and a close ally of the chancellor, Angela Merkel, was taken to hospital after the accident with a fractured skull. He was placed in an artificial coma. Neurologists treating him in the clinic in Schwarzbach in south-eastern Austria said it was likely that the helmet he was wearing saved his life. The accident occurred days after Italian police announced they were investigating a teenage boy for manslaughter and failure to offer assistance following a collision at the South Tyrolean ski resort of Obereggen in which a 51-year-old man died. The boy fled from the scene and came forward later. Experts have warned of a season of increased injuries due to the best skiing conditions Europe has seen for several winters, which is bringing larger than usual numbers of skiers on to the slopes. Src: Guardian.co.uk