39-year-old man charged for fatal crash in Malmö

In the middle of Friday afternoon traffic on May 22, a 39-year-old man drove his silver car at high speed in central Södervärn in Malmö. He drove both in a bus lane and in the wrong direction on Amiralgatan, neglected to stop at red lights at several intersections, ignored the duty to yield to two cyclists and drove in the wrong direction on Ystadsgatan.

At 3:30 p.m., the traffic lights turned green for pedestrians at the busy intersection between the health center and the bus terminal. A 14-year-old girl started to cross the road. But the 39-year-old man did not stop, but accelerated and drove at high speed at the girl, according to several consistent witness statements. Despite cardiopulmonary resuscitation and hospital care, her life could not be saved.

After the collision, the man continued his madness and slammed into a car, which in turn led to a series collision with two cars. Then another man was slightly injured.

On Wednesday, the trial in the high-profile case begins in Malmö district court.

The case has received a lot of attention, not least because the man sought psychiatric care twice in the 24 hours before the fatal crash. The second visit takes place just a few hours before the crazy ride.

The man's lawyer Sanna Herlin says that the man has a long history of mental illness, but functioned well for long periods. On the day of the accident, he drove himself to the psychiatric ward to get help and to be admitted.

He was admitted but left when he saw a person he didn't like in the waiting room. Before leaving, he left his driver's license at the hospital.

- He has done exactly what he is supposed to do: turned to healthcare. It is deeply unfortunate that they did not manage to help him in the psychiatric ward, says lawyer Sanna Herlin, adding that the suspect wishes he could undo it.

Based on his picture of the situation, Herlin wonders why the staff at the psychiatric ward did not do more.

- To me, it appears completely incomprehensible that when a patient, who is known to the staff, repeatedly seeks help, they do not act more quickly, says Herlin.

At the detention hearing, the court ruled that the man must undergo a so-called section 7 examination, colloquially known as a "little mental examination". It is clear and shows that a serious mental disorder can be suspected both at the time of the investigation and at the time of the crime.

Whether a major forensic psychiatric examination is now to be carried out is decided by the court.

After the accident, Måns Gerle, head of operations for adult psychiatry in Malmö in Region Skåne, has announced that an internal investigation is being launched into the case. It is still ongoing and will be supplemented with an event analysis. A decision is then taken on further measures, for example a Lex Maria notification.

According to lawyer Sanna Herlin, the 39-year-old suspect welcomes that investigation.