Man dies after high-speed police chase

A 22-year-old man died when he crashed his motorcycle in Stockholm late Wednesday following a police chase at speeds of up to 250 kilometres/hour.

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Despite the 22-year-old's untimely death in hospital, the police have no plans to review their course of action.

A 17-year-old female passenger survived with almost no physical damage when the motorbike crashed into the rails at a road works, according to the police.

The motorbike was spotted travelling the wrong way up a one-way street and through traffic lights in central Stockholm on Wednesday night. An unmarked police unit gave chase.

"Then it went fast, but not extremely fast," said police spokesperson Diana Sundin.

The chase continued in the direction of Trollbäcken in Tyresö municipality south of Stockholm. The motorcycle then turned and the 22-year-old headed back towards the city, but then he changed direction again and continued on the E4 motorway towards Södertälje.

As speeds escalated to an extreme level the duty commanding officer order the chase to be called off.

"It went terribly fast, over 250 kilometres per hour," Sundin said.

Police patrols in cars were instead deployed at exits along the motorway, and the motorcycle was followed by a helicopter overhead.

"But that also had trouble keeping up," Sundin said.

The bike turned off the highway in Södertälje. At the local hospital the rider turned his motorcycle once again and headed back into Stockholm, once again on the E4.

"Then the commanding officer ordered that no police units be visible at all. Only the helicopter was allowed to follow the vehicle," Sundin said.

The accident occurred at 10.15pm by the Årstalänken tunnel. The motorcycle smashed into the railings at a road works just before an underpass.

The first police unit arrived within three minuted, followed by an ambulance 12 minutes later, together with a fire engine.

Both the 22-year-old driver and his 17-year-old passenger was transferred to the trauma unit at the Karolinska Hospital in Solna, where the driver was pronounced dead, according to Sundin.

"But he was alive before his departure to the hospital," she said.

The police had no information on Wednesday night as to why the driver had violated traffic regulations. There are pans to interview the 17-year-old girl at a later date.

There are however no plans to review police procedures during the chase, despite the fatal crash.

Diane Sundin argued that the police could have in no way contributed to the extreme high speeds.

"The helicopter had been flying so high that nobody could have seen it," she said.

Both the 17-year-old, and the late 22-year-old man, are resident in the Stockholm area.