– It has been incredibly tough in the time since, says Isabella Johannessen. Together with her husband, she was on her way to Vestby in January 2020. Outside the Follotunellen, traffic stopped due to an accident further ahead. While standing still, they are hit from behind – at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour. – I do not remember anything from that day or the day before. The next thing I remember after the accident is the family standing over me in the hospital. She wakes up from a coma four days after the accident. Then she learns that her husband Stian died of his injuries the day before. – It took a long time before I broke down, I did not quite understand it at first. I did not want that to be true, she says. The accused man drove the white car in the picture, and thundered into the car in the middle. Photo: Petter Larsson / news Six months’ imprisonment The man in his 30s who drove the car claims that he tampered with the radio, and that he did not get the queue. – My client thinks the same as everyone else. You should not use a mobile phone in the car while driving. He has not acknowledged mobile phone use before the accident, says his defender Jan Kildahl. However, the technical investigations of the man’s telephone show that he used the mobile phone shortly before the accident. According to this, the Court of Appeal assumes that the accused’s inattention in the period leading up to the accident is due to his attention being directed to the telephone, among other things by writing and sending a text message, the judgment states. In the district court, he was sentenced to 120 days in prison, but the court of appeal changed this to six months. Judge and member of the courts’ media group, Rune Bård Hansen, believes that such a punishment is not abnormal in a case of negligent homicide. Judge and member of the courts’ media group, Rune Bård Hansen, should have thought it would have been interesting to see such a case considered in the Supreme Court. Photo: Norwegian courts He speaks on a general basis, but says that sentences with stricter penalties often contain aggravating circumstances such as driving under the influence of drugs or very high speed. In this case, it is only a matter of inattention related to the use of a mobile phone. According to the court, there are no other cases to compare with in Norwegian case law. – Since negligent use of a mobile phone is probably so common in traffic, it would have been interesting to see how the Supreme Court had assessed such a case, Hansen says. Emergency police worried about mobile phone use Every year, a number of Norwegians are stopped for mobile phone use while driving. The emergency police are now monitoring how many people use their mobile phones on Norwegian roads. 26,581 drivers have been observed 2.6 per cent use their mobile phone illegally 2 per cent text or read 0.6 per cent talking on a handheld mobile The results worry management. – It is a big problem because we know that inattention is a contributing cause to around 35 percent of all serious accidents in traffic, says UP leader Knut Smedsrud. UP manager Knut Smedsrud is concerned about the large amount of mobile phone use in cars. Photo: The police The judge in the case outside the Follotunellen criticizes the man’s inability to follow the road, and points out that he had 800 meters clear view after getting out of the tunnel. – At a speed of 100 km / h, he had 25 seconds to register that the cars stood still until he was 100 meters from them, the Court of Appeal writes. Defender: – A difficult case The man’s defender confirms to news that they do not want to appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court, and that his client is happy to finish the case. – It has been a terribly difficult case for him. Especially the outcome of the accident, says defender Jan Kildahl. The prosecution appealed the verdict to the Court of Appeal because they thought the sentence of 120 days was too low. The result of the accident was a dead man and a lame woman. State Attorney Salte confirms to news that they will not appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court either. Isabella spends many hours every day in the stable with her horses. They have been important in recovering from the accident. Photo: Håkon Hov Martinsen / news – The verdict is good and thorough. The Court of Appeal has in a good way summarized the technical evidence for mobile phone use, she says. A few months before the accident, the couple had bet on trotting, and bought horses. Isabel is now trying to continue the dream they had together. – Stian was not just my boyfriend and the one I married. He was my best friend.
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Crashed into car in queue due to mobile phone use – Isabel’s husband died – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
