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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/15/viola-beach-deaths-swedish-police-examine-car-and-barrier
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Viola Beach deaths: Swedish police examine car and barrier | Viola Beach deaths: Swedish police examine car and barrier |
(12 days later) | |
Swedish police are trying to ascertain whether the car crash that killed all four members of the British indie band Viola Beach and their manager was the fault of the driver. | Swedish police are trying to ascertain whether the car crash that killed all four members of the British indie band Viola Beach and their manager was the fault of the driver. |
Officers do not know which of the five men was driving the car, which fell 25 metres from a bridge into a canal near Stockholm in the early hours of Saturday morning. | Officers do not know which of the five men was driving the car, which fell 25 metres from a bridge into a canal near Stockholm in the early hours of Saturday morning. |
Kris Leonard, River Reeves, Tomas Lowe, Jack Dakin and manager Craig Tarry, aged between 19 and 35, were on their way back to the airport after the band had played their first foreign gig. | |
Postmortem examinations are due to be carried out on all five bodies that were recovered from the mangled Nissan Qashqai hire car. | Postmortem examinations are due to be carried out on all five bodies that were recovered from the mangled Nissan Qashqai hire car. |
Carina Skagerlind, a press spokesperson for Stockholm police, told the Guardian officers were looking at all possible causes. “We have a term in Sweden that if a person who is driving is to blame for the deaths, we call that causing death of others. And that could be the case here. We are looking at that. But who would we prosecute because everyone in the car is dead?” | Carina Skagerlind, a press spokesperson for Stockholm police, told the Guardian officers were looking at all possible causes. “We have a term in Sweden that if a person who is driving is to blame for the deaths, we call that causing death of others. And that could be the case here. We are looking at that. But who would we prosecute because everyone in the car is dead?” |
Skagerlind added: “We haven’t identified the driver yet, that is part of the investigation.” | Skagerlind added: “We haven’t identified the driver yet, that is part of the investigation.” |
She confirmed the autopsies would help determine whether the driver had been intoxicated at the time of the accident. Skagerlind said: “The autopsies will be carried out as soon as possible, but they have not been done yet. It is five [bodies] and it can take a while so we don’t know when the results will be released. They are doing it as fast they can.” | She confirmed the autopsies would help determine whether the driver had been intoxicated at the time of the accident. Skagerlind said: “The autopsies will be carried out as soon as possible, but they have not been done yet. It is five [bodies] and it can take a while so we don’t know when the results will be released. They are doing it as fast they can.” |
She added: “There are hundreds of possibilities,” she said. “We are looking at the car, we are looking at the circumstances, we are talking to witnesses. We don’t have any answers yet and we have to look at everything. | She added: “There are hundreds of possibilities,” she said. “We are looking at the car, we are looking at the circumstances, we are talking to witnesses. We don’t have any answers yet and we have to look at everything. |
The Nissan Qashqai hire car is being examined for possible technical faults, Skagerlind said. “The car is being examined we have taken it out of the water. They are looking at it now,” she said. | The Nissan Qashqai hire car is being examined for possible technical faults, Skagerlind said. “The car is being examined we have taken it out of the water. They are looking at it now,” she said. |
The icy conditions and the operation of a barrier and its warning systems are also been examined as possible causes. Skagerlind said: “We are looking at the barrier. We have to put new barriers on the bridge and had to take the old ones away.” | The icy conditions and the operation of a barrier and its warning systems are also been examined as possible causes. Skagerlind said: “We are looking at the barrier. We have to put new barriers on the bridge and had to take the old ones away.” |
Witnesses said barriers were down and warning lights were flashing when the accident happened. Other drivers were waiting for two sets of safety barriers over the canal crossing to be lifted. | Witnesses said barriers were down and warning lights were flashing when the accident happened. Other drivers were waiting for two sets of safety barriers over the canal crossing to be lifted. |
Police said the band’s car fell through a gap that had opened to let a boat pass through. Witnesses told Swedish media that the car drove at full speed past other stationary cars and disappeared into the darkness. | Police said the band’s car fell through a gap that had opened to let a boat pass through. Witnesses told Swedish media that the car drove at full speed past other stationary cars and disappeared into the darkness. |
“To get into the water, a car must get past a red light and two barriers,” said Daniel Lindblad, of the Swedish maritime administration, which always checks with the road transport administration before the bridge is opened to allow ships through. “The red light and the first barrier is just over 100 metres from the lifting part of the bridge. The second barrier is much closer to the edge.” | “To get into the water, a car must get past a red light and two barriers,” said Daniel Lindblad, of the Swedish maritime administration, which always checks with the road transport administration before the bridge is opened to allow ships through. “The red light and the first barrier is just over 100 metres from the lifting part of the bridge. The second barrier is much closer to the edge.” |
• This article was amended on 25 February 2016 to correct Craig Tarry’s surname. An earlier version had it as Tarrand. |