– We had an expectation that this case should be completed and processed in the courts by 2021. Now I fear that the case will not have a final outcome by the end of this year. This is what the assistance lawyer says to the survivors, Espen Simonsen. In March 2021, two cars collided head-on right outside a tunnel at Kvenvik in Alta. In one car sat a female driver and two girls. 10-year-old Nora Alvilde Tiberg and the driver, 49-year-old Ann Katrin Nilson, died in the collision. The other girl, who was friends with the deceased 10-year-old, was seriously injured. In the other car there were two young men. The driver of this car is charged with violation of section 3 of the Road Traffic Act, which applies to considerate driving. Police have previously said that the accident was characterized by high energy. – A large burden One year and three months after the accident, the police still have no answer to what happened this March evening. However, rumors and theories have flourished in the local community. The accident that took two lives took place in Kvenvik outside Alta in March 2021. Photo: Christer Andre Henriksen / news Now Simonsen believes that the work of getting the right answer is unreasonably far in time. – It has taken a long time, and for the bereaved it is of course a great burden. They want to know what happened and they want to move on. They are frustrated at not knowing all the details and at not getting a clarification. Assistance lawyer for the survivors, Espen Simonsen, believes the case should have been completed. Photo: Private – Uncertainty struggles – Uncertainty and uncertainty is something we humans are worst at. It puts a lot of pressure on us, says psychologist Atle Dyregrov. He is professor emeritus at the Center for Crisis Psychology in Bergen and has for decades worked with survivors of accidents and disasters. Dyregrov says that when life unfolds in a brutal and unexpected way, the search for information is what concerns us. – That’s what we long for. Honest, precise information, as early as possible from those who have authority in the situation, and here perhaps the police are the most important, he says. Psychologist Atle Dyregrov says that lack of information can prolong and complicate the grieving process. Photo: Center for Crisis Psychology Affects the authorities That in the worst case it can take up to two years before a serious accident ends in the court system, he believes is untenable. – This should not happen. Dyregrov has worked hard to convey the importance of the authorities providing good, thorough and early information in the aftermath of accidents. A lot has gotten better, he thinks, but it is still not good enough. – I think we still have a lot to gain. I see that there are some good plans that are not followed up well enough. It is important that the police and other agencies such as the Norwegian Public Roads Administration are aware of the extra burden it is for survivors to deal with a long, long waiting time, he says. Hanne Bernhardsen at the police in Finnmark is responsible for prosecution in the case. She is on holiday and is not available for comment. However, the head of prosecution at the Finnmark police, Morten Daae, admits that the investigation has taken too long. – It is also not desirable from our side, says Daae. The head of prosecution at the Finnmark police, Morten Daae, admits that the case has taken a long time. Photo: Allan Klo / news Legal security must be ensured The police have been waiting for a long time for the expert report from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, which the police have ordered. It should provide answers to why it went so fatally. The report came in March, but this did not give all the answers the police wanted. They therefore requested an additional report. – As I see it, this report will be sent during June, says section leader in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Håkon Rosendahl. He apologizes to the bereaved that the report has taken time, and says that he understands that this is a burden. – At the same time, it is important for the rule of law, and anyone who may risk being convicted in such a case, that the report is processed before it is submitted to the police and again used in a trial, Rosendahl says. He explains that complex cases take time, but that this does not mean that the Norwegian Public Roads Administration is not constantly working to become better and more efficient. The accident happened on a short stretch between two tunnels on the E6 in Alta. Photo: Kristian Sønvisen Bye – Can give some information news has tried to get in touch with the male driver’s lawyer, Thomas Hansen, without success. Already half a year ago, Hansen told ifinnmark that it is not favorable for the investigation to drag out for a long time. Atle Dyregrov believes that the police should strive to provide as much information as they can teach in the process. – Even if you wait for a report to be completed, it does not mean that you can not provide any information. It’s about care, he says. – I support the fact that we in the police can provide information to survivors, even if you do not have all the answers, says Morten Daae in the police.
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Lawyer believes it has taken too long to investigate the car accident in Kvenvik in Alta where 10-year-old died – news Troms and Finnmark
