The driver of a car which crashed killing all four members of the British indie band Viola Beach and their manager had no trace of alcohol or drugs in his blood, according to preliminary results.
Officers have been trying to establish whether the driver was at fault for the crash on 13 February, which happened when the band’s hire car plunged from a bridge into a canal near Stockholm. Police have not said who was driving the vehicle. Previously they said they did not know who was behind the wheel at the time.
A Stockholm police spokeswoman, Carena Skagerlind, said: “We can confirm that the very preliminary post mortem results show that the driver of the car had no trace of alcohol or drugs in the blood.”
She said more tests would be carried out in the coming weeks but police would not be releasing further information on who was driving.
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.
Officers were called to the incident at about 2.30am involving the Nissan Qashqai, which had gone through a barrier of a bridge that had opened to let a boat pass underneath.
The barrier, 50 metres before the opening, had flashing lights and warning signs, the officer handling the case said. Witnesses said the brake lights on the car were not operated, suggesting the driver did not realise the bridge had opened.
After their deaths, a fan-led campaign was launched to get the Warrington-based quartet who had featured on BBC Introducing – a showcase for new artists – to number one in the charts as a tribute. However, their song Swings and Waterslides, failed to break into the top 10 of the official singles chart.
- This article was amended on 25 February 2016 to correct the name of Craig Tarry.
