A driver under the influence of drugs killed a walking man in his 80s.
The motorist was arrested but released, stole a car and embarked on a new rampage – which nearly cost two police officers their lives.
Now he is sentenced to four years in prison.
The accident occurred on February 25 in Ljustorp, in Timrå municipality, when the man in his 80s was out walking his dog. Both the man and the dog were hit and died at the scene, where the police were immediately able to arrest a 30-year-old motorist.
The 30-year-old man – who was previously known to the police – was under the influence of amphetamines and alprazolam and could be arrested on suspicion of aggravated causing the death of another and aggravated drunken driving.
Stole a Skoda
A couple of days later, the man was released pending prosecution, as the prosecutor judged that he would not interfere with the investigation. Two weeks later, the 30-year-old hit the road again – this time in a stolen Skoda.
Several police patrols took up the hunt for the stolen car and were finally forced to impound it to stop the madness and arrest the man again.
In connection with the operation, the 30-year-old tried to run over two police officers, who responded by opening fire.
“Should be assessed as serious”
The man has admitted the course of events but denies any wrongdoing.
Now the 30-year-old is being sentenced to four years in prison for a number of different crimes, including for grossly causing the death of another and attempted gross violence against an official.
“The man committed the act out of negligence. The negligence consisted in his performing
the car in a drug-affected and tired state, that he did not adjust the speed and that
he burst into attention towards the pedestrian who happened to be by
the road,” Sundsvall’s district court writes in its judgment.
“The crime should be assessed as serious because the act involved a deliberate risk-taking
of a serious nature as he was under the influence of drugs”.