Ukrainian bus driver acquitted of manslaughter

A tourist bus off the road in Valldal at Møre and Romsdal in late July.Photo: Svein Ove Ekornesvåg / NTB scanpix

The Ukrainian driver who ran a tourist bus off the road in Valldal at Møre and Romsdal in late July, acquitted of manslaughter but convicted for careless driving.

– The court has an overall evaluation to determine that the collision between the bus and passenger car inflicted mainly because bus steering gear had an accidental damage and because of this reason the bus driver could not control the bus.

After the collision, the bus continued going to the left before it hit the barrier in the opposite direction and overturned. The defendant could not be blamed for such an extraordinary and unforeseen event, says the verdict from Sunnmøre District Court, according to NRK news.

A man was killed and 14 people were injured when the Ukrainian tourist bus with 41 people on board went off the county road 63 at Grønning in Norddal Municipality on Saturday July 30th.

According Sunnmørsposten, the bus driver is acquitted of murder charges and the compensation claim but he is sentenced to jail for 30 days for violating the Road Traffic Act.

The man has served 94 days in custody already.

The bus driver also loses the right to drive in Norway for one year from July 30th, 2016.

– The court concluded that the defendant was not driving sufficiently vigilant and carefully when he met passenger car, which meant that the vehicles collided, said the judge.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today