30-year-old sentenced to five years in prison for traffic manslaughter

A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to five years in prison by the Court in Aarhus for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, leading to a fatal traffic accident last December. The accident resulted in the death of a 24-year-old female cyclist.

The incident took place in the early hours of Sunday, December 8, 2024, at the intersection between Hasle Ringvej and Paludan Müllers Vej in northwest Aarhus. The 24-year-old woman was cycling on a green light when she was hit by the 30-year-old driver who ran a red light. A 25-year-old male cyclist was also hit but escaped with less severe injuries.

Police received the report at 02:57 and immediately dispatched multiple patrols to the scene. Upon arrival, witnesses and medical personnel provided life-saving first aid to the young woman. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but succumbed to her injuries shortly after.

After the collision, the driver continued on Hasle Ringvej and crashed into a traffic signal at the intersection with Viborgvej. He was arrested on the spot and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. The 30-year-old has been in custody since then and received the sentence on Thursday morning.

In addition to involuntary manslaughter, he was found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol, endangering the life of the male cyclist, and failing to stop and provide assistance to the female cyclist after the collision. The car he was driving during the accident was confiscated under the laws concerning reckless driving.

“What happened when the 24-year-old woman was on her way home on her bike is deeply tragic and unfortunate. It is always difficult to determine whether as a prosecutor one is satisfied with a verdict when a young person has lost their life, but I am quite satisfied that the court agreed with the Prosecution Authority that the 30-year-old was guilty of all charges and received a lengthy prison sentence,” said Special Prosecutor Mai Buch from the Prosecution Authority at East Jutland Police.

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