Swedish police say they now believe that the bus crash in central Stockholm, which left three people dead, was the result of a tragic accident rather than a deliberate act.
The collision happened late on Friday afternoon when a double-decker bus suddenly veered into a busy stop near the Tekniska högskolan area as commuters were heading home. Three people were killed at the scene and three more were injured.
The driver, who was initially detained on suspicion of manslaughter, is being treated in hospital, police spokesman Ola Österling said. Detectives no longer suspect intent. “Everything we have reviewed so far—witness accounts, images, film—points away from this being deliberate,” Österling said.
Local media report that the driver had finished letting passengers off and was preparing to take a break. As the empty bus was moving toward the parking area, it suddenly surged forward and smashed through the shelter.
A shopkeeper nearby told broadcaster SVT that the vehicle clipped a pole before crashing into the stop, sending people running for cover. Several sought refuge inside his shop in tears, he said, while others rushed towards the victims on the pavement. Another witness recalled seeing additional people trapped beneath the bus.
Emergency workers and police spent hours at the scene, and investigators are expected to interview the driver again once his condition improves.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson offered his condolences on social media, saying the victims had likely been heading home for an ordinary evening before the disaster struck. “We do not yet know why this happened,” he wrote, adding that first responders now face “a very difficult and important task” and urging the public to give them space to work.
