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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Matt Payton

Viola Beach: Indie band's driver 'plunged off bridge intentionally', say Swedish police

Swedish police are reportedly investigating whether the driver of the car carrying British indie band Viola Beach deliberately drove off a bridge into a canal.

Four members of the group died in the incident along with their manager, Craig Tarry, in Sodertalje, near Stockholm.

The identity of the driver is yet to be revealed, although investigators did he had no alcohol or drugs in his blood.

Lars Berglund, one of the police investigators, told Aftonbladet:  "We can’t find any secondary explanation.

"It looked like the driver acted deliberately."

Aftobladet viewed CCTV footage of the incident, which they said showed the band's black Nissan QashQai overtaking two vehicles and using the hard shoulder before crashing through the barrier - which was closed while the bridge was raised to allow an oil tanker ship to pass in the canal underneath.

The car broke through a further barrier, hit the partially lifed bridge before plunging around 25m into the canal.

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Witness Kent Udden told the paper: "We didn't see any brake lights. When he passed the first barrier, it would have been obvious that this is something you shouldn't pass.

"We saw no signs that he was slowing down."

Mr Berglund added: "From what I can see, most of them died when the car hit the bridge."

The rental vehicle was almost new and had no apparent faults.

 

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