Court rules in case of woman killed by speeding driver in bed

A 20-year-old driver who crashed into a house in Tilst while fleeing police, killing a 64-year-old woman as she slept, has admitted guilt ahead of the court’s ruling. DR reported that the case is among the first to be heard under a new law tightening penalties for fatal crashes caused by reckless driving.

According to the indictment, the driver turned onto a dead-end residential street near Aarhus at 109 kilometres per hour and drove through the wall of the house. Three residents were inside. The woman was killed, and the driver and three other passengers were arrested immediately.

The house has remained untouched since the crash and is now for sale. The police pursuit began after up to 40 cars were reportedly driven recklessly in a Bilka car park just over a kilometre from the crash scene. The Independent Police Complaints Authority is still investigating the police response. No charges have been brought against the other passengers.

In February, a broad majority in Denmark’s parliament added section 241a to the Criminal Code, increasing penalties for fatal traffic offences involving reckless driving. The maximum sentence is now 10 years in prison.

DR court correspondent Louise Dalsgaard said the ruling would be closely watched as one of the first cases to test the new penalty provisions. She also noted that thousands of reckless-driving cases have been recorded in the past five years, with nearly 3,000 vehicles confiscated and sold at state auctions. Most cases do not involve personal injury, she said.