Man charged over Copenhagen police officer death in bridge crash
A 25-year-old man faces criminal charges after a police officer was killed in a traffic accident on the Langebro bridge in Copenhagen earlier this week.
The 25-year-old, who is suspected of aggravated manslaughter, caused the death of the 35-year-old police officer by driving dangerously, according to the police charge sheet.
He is accused of putting lives in danger through gross recklessness behind the wheel. He denies the charges.
The judge found evidence presented by the police prosecutor convincing enough to remand the 25-year-old in custody for four weeks, Ritzau writes.
The preliminary hearing, which took place on Tuesday, was conducted behind closed doors, with judge Karen Duus Mathiesen citing the early stage of police investigations and potential additional suspects in the case.
The fatal accident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, when six or seven cars were involved in a collision on Langebro, which connects central Copenhagen with the Amager island district.
Copenhagen’s fire service, Hovedstadens Beredskab, said in its report of the crash that several people were injured in the accident and hydraulic equipment was used to free one person from the wreckage.
Although the 35-year-old officer was on duty at the time of the accident, his involvement was not directly connected to his work, Copenhagen Police have confirmed.
“He was a popular colleague and will be greatly missed at Copenhagen Police. My thoughts and deepest sympathies go to his loved ones,” chief superintendent Jørgen Bergen Skov confirmed in a Copenhagen Police press statement on Tuesday.
No detail was given as to the nature of the reckless driving during the initial court proceedings on Tuesday, but charges of this type are usually related to driving at extremely high speeds, Ritzau writes.
Two brothers to the accused were present at the court and said the accident was “an unfortunate situation, and we send our condolences to the family of the deceased,” the news agency reports.
READ ALSO: Police officer killed in accident on central Copenhagen bridge
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The 25-year-old, who is suspected of aggravated manslaughter, caused the death of the 35-year-old police officer by driving dangerously, according to the police charge sheet.
He is accused of putting lives in danger through gross recklessness behind the wheel. He denies the charges.
The judge found evidence presented by the police prosecutor convincing enough to remand the 25-year-old in custody for four weeks, Ritzau writes.
The preliminary hearing, which took place on Tuesday, was conducted behind closed doors, with judge Karen Duus Mathiesen citing the early stage of police investigations and potential additional suspects in the case.
The fatal accident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, when six or seven cars were involved in a collision on Langebro, which connects central Copenhagen with the Amager island district.
Copenhagen’s fire service, Hovedstadens Beredskab, said in its report of the crash that several people were injured in the accident and hydraulic equipment was used to free one person from the wreckage.
Although the 35-year-old officer was on duty at the time of the accident, his involvement was not directly connected to his work, Copenhagen Police have confirmed.
“He was a popular colleague and will be greatly missed at Copenhagen Police. My thoughts and deepest sympathies go to his loved ones,” chief superintendent Jørgen Bergen Skov confirmed in a Copenhagen Police press statement on Tuesday.
No detail was given as to the nature of the reckless driving during the initial court proceedings on Tuesday, but charges of this type are usually related to driving at extremely high speeds, Ritzau writes.
Two brothers to the accused were present at the court and said the accident was “an unfortunate situation, and we send our condolences to the family of the deceased,” the news agency reports.
READ ALSO: Police officer killed in accident on central Copenhagen bridge
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