A ten-year-old girl was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after being hit by a quad bike in Botkyrka south of Stockholm. The driver, a man in his twenties, is suspected of gross negligence in traffic, gross endangerment causing bodily injury, and drug driving. The crash happened just after 8pm on Sunday at Hågelbyleden.
The crash occurred around 8pm on Sunday in Botkyrka municipality, at a side road or walkway next to Hågelbyleden. Police say the quad bike flipped for an unknown reason, and the girl was struck during the incident despite not being a passenger.
"On some way she was hit by the quad bike, we are investigating what happened," says police spokesperson Ola Österling. The girl was airlifted to hospital due to serious injuries. The driver was also injured, though not seriously, and taken to hospital for treatment and testing.
The man is formally detained and suspected of gross negligence in traffic, gross endangerment causing bodily injury, and drug driving. Police updated the charges later that evening based on witness statements and footage from buildings and vehicles. "There we have been able to see large parts of the event," Österling says.
The quad bike has been impounded for technical examination. A witness described how the vehicle drove up over the curb where the girl was standing, flipped onto the road in front of oncoming traffic, and nearly caused a collision. Police have interviewed witnesses and have no information indicating the driver and girl knew each other.
