Viola Beach Crash Investigator Clarifies Comments That Driver ‘Intentionally Drove Off Bridge’

The lead investigator of the Viola Beach crash has clarified comments made by Swedish police that the driver of the UK band’s car ‘intentionally drove off a bridge’.

Police have now said that they do not believe the driver’s actions were deliberate and he did not ‘intend to kill himself or the band’.

All four members of the band, Kris Leonard, River Reeves, Jack Dakin and Tomas Lowe, and their manager Craig Terry, died after their car plummeted 80ft into a canal near Stockholm last month.

On Thursday, Kjell Lindgren from the Stockholm Police said the driver had ‘overtook parked vehicles, using an off-limits part of the bridge’ adding that the driver had ignored ‘a stop sign, parked cars and blinking red lights.’

Colin Tarry, the father of the band's manager Craig Tarry, branded the comments by police as 'lies'.

He told The Mirror: "The damage is done. It's all lies. We are heart-broken. I'm burying my son tomorrow."

Now crash investigator Lars Berglund has moved to clarify the comments, saying the driver’s ‘only intention was to avoid a crash’.

Mr Berglund told The Mirror: "I have not suggested that [the driver] was doing this in order to kill himself or the band. I said he was making a move from the right lane to the left lane and that was not accidental.

"We can see the brake lights. His intention was to stop the car. But maybe his speed was too high and it was too late."

Police previously confirmed the unidentified driver had no traces of alcohol or drugs and said it would have been very difficult to pass two lines of parked cars if he was asleep.

Following the accident, the family of River Reeves said they were "heartbroken" after hearing of his death. The family of the band's manager Tarry said they were "devastated", adding they are "grieving the loss of their son and also for the other families involved in this tragic accident".

A week after the incident, the band’s single ‘Swings & Waterslides’ reached No.1 on the iTunes chart following a social media campaign backed by Liam Gallagher and Tim Burgess from The Charlatans.

All proceeds from sales of the single went to the band and manager’s families.

A memorial concert at Warrington's Parr Hall on 2 April, which will feature friends and bands they have played with, has now sold out.