A car belonging to the Russian Embassy in Oslo crashed into the metal railings of a tram stop in the Norwegian capital’s Frogner/Skillebekk district late Wednesday night. One of the two people in the car was killed, while the other injured.
Oslo police were reluctant to detail circumstances surrounding crash, which occurred shortly after midnight in pouring rain. The driver of the car apparently lost control of the vehicle. It wasn’t revealed whether the driver or the passenger was killed.
“One of the two people in the car appeared to be critically injured and police immediately began life-saving procedures,” Rune Hekkelstrand, operations leader for the Oslo Police, told state broadcaster NRK. “An ambulance arrived on the scene quickly and took over the first aid efforts.” He added that “the person’s life couldn’t be saved,” with a death declaration made shortly thereafter.
The other person in the car was taken to Oslo’s emergency clinic (Legevakten) with what were reported to be minor injuries.
Both the Russian Embassy and Norway’s foreign ministry were notified shortly after the car crash, with Hekkelstrand adding that “we have had dialogue with the Russian Embassy at the scene and through the night.” Any charges tied to the accident would likely need to effectively be dropped because of diplomatic immunity.
The crash occurred close to the embassy itself, on Drammensveien, a key thoroughfare that had to be closed until the site was cleared and the police’s technical investigation was completed. Drammensveien didn’t reopen until around 6am, when tram service also could resume.
newsinenglish.no staff
