It was in July this year that the accident occurred. The 16-year-old, who was then 15 years old, was driving the four-wheeler on a forest road outside Umeå. Next to him, on the passenger side, sat a younger boy.
The 16-year-old drove downhill, which then turned into a sharp curve. He then ended up at the edge of the forest, scraped into two pine trees and finally crashed head first into a third pine tree.
Was operated on several times
Both boys were taken by ambulance from the scene of the accident. The younger boy suffered life-threatening injuries in the form of, among other things, head injuries, a fractured jaw and a punctured lung, and had to undergo several operations after the accident. The older boy suffered a concussion and knee injuries in the accident.
It was the younger boy’s father who bought the four-wheeler and, according to the verdict, thereby assumed a special responsibility for their safety.
“In this situation, he has not tried to ensure that the driving took place with as little risk as possible. Instead, he has gone in and left the children unattended,” writes the district court in the judgment.
The driver and parents are sentenced
The 16-year-old is now being sentenced at Umeå district court for causing bodily harm and illegal driving. He must pay SEK 2,500 in daily fines.
The younger boy’s father is convicted of causing bodily harm and allowing illegal driving. The 16-year-old’s mother is also convicted of allowing illegal driving. Both must pay daily fines.
The boy has neither admitted nor denied the crime. The mother and the younger boy’s father have both denied wrongdoing.