Bridge plunge that killed young band and manager ‘may never be explained’
A CRASH which killed four members of a rock band and their manager after their car plunged off a bridge may never be explained, a coroner said yesterday.
Band manager Craig Tarry, 32, was driving the Viola Beach musicians back from a concert in Sweden in February when he ploughed through two barriers. The car plummeted 100ft into a canal.
Cheshire coroner’s court heard that flashing warning lights and lowered barriers signalled a section of the bridge near Stockholm was raised to let a boat through.
Mr Tarry, who the hearing was told had taken no drugs or alcohol, drove past stationary traffic in a “controlled manner” straddling two road lanes.
Tragedy
The rented Nissan Qashqai clipped the bottom of the raised section before plunging into the water, where it was hit by a passing boat.
The manager and his band – Kris Leonard, 19, River Reeves, 19, Tomas Lowe, 27, and Jack Dakin, 19, all from Warrington – perished in the crash.
More than 20 relatives of the dead attended the inquest in the band’s home town yesterday.
Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg recorded that all five died from a road traffic collision and admitted that there may never be any explanation for why Mr Tarry failed to stop. He said: “It’s not for me to speculate. I don’t think it ever will be known what happened.” Addressing the families he added: “The events we have been hearing about reveal the most awful tragedy for all of you. I’m very sorry you have suffered this terrible loss.”
The band’s agent Graham Bennett said his group had been on stage at a festival in Norrkoping and were travelling back to their hotel when the crash happened.
As Mr Tarry drove the car down the E4 motorway at Sodertalje, near Stockholm, flashing yellow lights warned a ship canal bridge ahead was being opened. The bridge had a middle section of road which opened horizontally. For an unknown reason Mr Tarry pulled out, drove past stationary queuing traffic, clipping a taxi wing mirror and through the first set of barriers.
He then straddled two lanes in a “controlled manner” at up to 55mph before going through a second set of barriers before hitting the underside of the bridge’s raised section.
Mr Tarry and Mr Leonard, sat in the front, wore seat belts but the other three were thrown from the wreckage, which sank 25ft to the bottom of the canal. Experts found no faults with the Nissan, the bridge signals or barrier system.
Viola Beach’s first album was released after their deaths, with the song Swings & Waterslides briefly topping the iTunes chart. Benedict Dunne, father of guitarist Mr Reeves, said his son was “following his dreams”. From left, Viola Beach members River, Kris, Tom and Jack. Inset, manager Craig