6 detained in holding cells in Strömstad after disturbance
Six individuals are detained in holding cells after disturbing the peace in Strömstad. Otherwise, the traditional «hillbilly party» (rånefest) just across the Swedish border has been relatively quiet, according to the local police. Maundy Thursday is not a holiday in Sweden, as opposed to in Norway.
“There have been some episodes. Due to two of those, six individuals were brought here to calm down in our holding cells,” Group Leader of the Strømstad police, Johan Hilding, tells Fredriksstad Blad around 5 pm on Maundy Thursday.
He adds that the festivities are now starting to calm down.
“It is, of course, wonderful that things calm down here after a long day,” Hilding explains.
License plates seized at Svinesund
The Norwegian police also believe that the day has gone well, considering.
the police have conducted car controls at the old border crossing at Svinesund, in cooperation with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. That resulted in 14 losses of license plates.
“There have been some minor traffic incidents, but the overall impression is that it has gone well today. We have had good cooperation with the Swedish police,” Operations Leader of the East Police District, Kari Monsen, tells NTB.
The road traffic was quieting down at 4.30 pm, according to Monsen.
Harley Davidson convoy to Strömstad
Among those who provided more traffic than normal on this Maundy Thursday, was the Harley Davidson Owners Club from Østfold.
The club announced in advance that they would form a record-breaking convoy to Strömstad. The old record was 157 motorbikes.
That record was thoroughly beaten when 193 motorcycles drove from Sarpsborg to the Swedish border town on Thursday, according to Fredriksstad Blad.
The convoy received assistance from both Swedish and Norwegian police in order to complete the trip.
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Car fire led to chain collision
There were a number of different events on the roads in Østfold on Maundy Thursday. Around 6 pm, a police patrol in Halden pulled a Swedish-registered car over. The car carried six persons, and its tailgate was wide open.
At the Svinesund Park, curiosity after a car fire led to a chain collision. Three cars were involved and had to be salvaged. Nobody suffered any injuries in the incident.
At Rygge, four cars were involved in a traffic accident on the E6 around 1 pm. The accident led to a complete halt in the traffic for a period. No personal injuries were reported here either, but a woman and a child were brought to the emergency room for a check-up.
“On Thursday morning, a man on a light motorcycle skedaddled from a traffic control on county road 118 near Svinesund. The man wound up in the ditch on the Swedish side, but was not injured,” The police inform. They have control of the driver.
In Halden, a female passenger sustained a broken leg and neck injuries when she fell off a motorcycle. At 11 am, the police pulled a car carrying people on its roof over at a gas station at Vestby in Follo municipality. The driver is indicted and his driver’s license seized.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
