British band Viola Beach killed in Swedish car crash

[Little Tich]

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

All four members of the British indie band Viola Beach have died in Sweden after the car they were travelling in crashed off a bridge that had opened to let a boat pass underneath, local police say.

A witness to the crash in the Swedish capital Stockholm said a number of vehicles had stopped at a barrier on the bridge when a car, travelling at up to 80km/h, drove through the flashing lights, crashed into a beam and disappeared off the edge.

The car plunged more than 25 metres into a canal about 2.30am on Saturday, Swedish police said.

All four members of the Warrington-based band - Kris Leonard, River Reeves, Tomas Lowe and Jack Dakin - died in the crash, along with their manager, Craig Tarry, who was also in the car.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/british-band-viola-beach-killed-in-swedish-car-crash-20160214-gmtxxt.html

[Dont call me Shirley]

1. Kris, River, Tomas, Jack, Craig...

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. They had a tribute today at the Man City-Tottenham Hotspur game

Very sad.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

3. That's too sad for words.

[2naSalit]

4. ...

[A Little Weird]

5. RIP

[Marty McGraw]

6. But it always

Turns out okay in the Cartoons.

OMW What were they (or tragically one) Thinking....

[Fast Walker 52]

7. yeah, really-- it's insane

and horrible

[passiveporcupine]

8. Oh no, they were just kids

they were pretty good.

[Divernan]

9. 43 mph, no skid marks

The bridge where the crash occurred has a middle section that rises directly upwards without tilting, leaving a gap into which the Nissan Qashqai drove, police said.

A barrier, 50 metres before the opening, had flashing lights and signs warning the bridge was opening.
The car plunged more than 25 metres into a canal.

A truck driver, Jonny Alexandersson, who saw the crash, told Swedish news organisation Aftonbladet that a number of vehicles were stopped at the barrier when a vehicle drove past them at "at least 70-80km/h". "Many were obviously very shocked by this," he said.

Inspector Martin Bergholm said that, according to witnesses, the car drove through the barriers before crashing into the canal. "There were no brake marks on the road and it's very difficult to say how fast the car was going at the time," he said.

He told Aftonbladet: "The witnesses just saw a car beside them and kind of disappear. The only people who knew what went on inside the car are dead."

Police divers have recovered the bodies of the five men.

Will they test bodies for drugs/alcohol?
Tragic incident, but speaking as someone who was hospitalized with fractured skull after being hit by a drunk driver who fell asleep at the wheel and crossed into oncoming traffic, my comment is it's a good thing they didn't kill anyone else. The driver avoided hitting other vehicles - drove around them, so evidently was conscious.

Come on folks - don't drink, drug and drive