Viola Beach driven off bridge deliberately

Viola Beach were deliberately driven off the bridge that killed them and their manager according to Swedish Police.

The driver in the car which killed indie band Viola Beach is believed to have acted “intentionally”.

Swedish police made the comments after analysing CCTV footage of the tragic incident.

Kris Leonard, 20, River Reeves, 19, Jack Dakin, 19, Tom Lowe, 27, and manager Craig Tarry, 33, died when their car plummeted off a highway bridge in Sodertalje near Stockholm last month.

The vehicle fell more than 80 feet from a highway bridge into a canal in Stockholm on February 13.

“The driver overtook parked vehicles, using an off-limits part of the bridge,” Stockholm Police’s Kjell Lindgren told Aftonbladet (via The Telegraph).

“It’s not natural to carry on driving if there’s a stop sign, parked cars and blinking red lights.”

First move: The reconstructed CCTV footage shows the band's car pulling up behind two others, before driving up on the shoulder — The reconstructed CCTV footage shows the band’s car pulling up behind two others, before driving up on the shoulder

Breaking through: The band's Nissan then accelerates to around 55mph, speeds past the cars and lorries — The band’s Nissan then accelerates to around 55mph, speeds past the cars and lorries

Despite the safety barriers being down , the band crashing through the first barrier, breaking it in half

Crash: The car then drives through the second barrier, according to witnesses without braking — The car then drives through the second barrier, according to witnesses without braking

The reconstruction video shows the moment when the car hits the bridge as it lifts at around 55mph

Authorities also believe that most of the passengers in the vehicle were killed by the collision with the bridge.

“As far as I can see, most had already been killed up there on the bridge,” Lars Berglund – the police chief leading the investigation – stated. “It looks like the driver was acting intentionally.”

Mr Berglund later clarified his initial statement, adding that even though driving through the barriers appears deliberate, there has been no indication that any harm was intended.

‘There is no suggestion that it was intended to kill himself or the band,” Mr Berglund told Mirror Online, indicating that the driver of the car was manager Mr Tarry.

“I said he was making a move from the right lane to the left lane and that was not accidental.

“I think the driver’s only intention was to avoid a crash. But maybe his speed was too high and it was too late.”

During their three years together, Viola Beach recorded a live session for BBC Radio 1 and had a featured slot at Reading and Leeds Festivals.