A 24-year-old man remains in custody for an additional four weeks following a traffic accident in July that resulted in the deaths of three individuals. This decision was made by the Hillerød Court (Retten i Hillerød) on Wednesday. The young man is charged with endangering others and reckless driving in connection with the incident.
The accident occurred early in the morning on July 6 on the extension of the Hillerød Motorway. Authorities believe that the 24-year-old, along with a 33-year-old man who also died in the accident, was engaged in a street race. The parents in the oncoming vehicle, which was struck by the car driven by the 33-year-old, lost their lives, while their two children survived.
During the court hearing, prosecutor Dersim Bicen from North Zealand Police (Nordsjællands Politi) presented new information regarding the case. According to preliminary data, both men were recorded driving at speeds exceeding 100 percent of the legal limit along the stretch from Copenhagen to the accident site. Just before the collision, the 24-year-old was measured traveling at a speed of 156 kilometers per hour (about 97 miles per hour), while the 33-year-old was driving at approximately 170 kilometers per hour (roughly 106 miles per hour).
Preliminary analyses from a car inspector support these speed measurements. The police have also received witness statements indicating that the two vehicles repeatedly overtook each other.
Authorities are still awaiting a final report from the car inspector, as well as the results of a blood test intended to determine whether the 33-year-old was under the influence at the time of the accident.
The defendant’s attorney, Jan Torp Hansen, argued against the extension of the custody, claiming that the basis for suspicion is no longer strong enough to justify it. However, the judge disagreed and decided to extend the detention until mid-September. The attorney is now considering whether to appeal the ruling.