Sweden Prosecutes Pilot and Cargo Ship Captain for Deadly Collision
Swedish prosecutors confirmed on August 28 that they are proceeding with the prosecution of the captain of the Norwegian cargo ship Misje Verde and the Swedish pilot who was aboard the vessel on July 28 when it ran down a small pleasure boat. Each is being charged with causing the death of the mother and her daughter aboard the pleasure boat, causing bodily injury to the father and son on the boat, and negligence in maritime traffic in connection with the ship accident near Tjörn on the west coast of Sweden.
“It is unusual for a pilot to be prosecuted for having been involved in a maritime accident involving the piloted vessel,” said Senior Prosecutor James von Reis, who is leading the preliminary investigation. “In this case, the police investigation revealed that the pilot took a very active role in the vessel's operation and accepted that the master was doing other things on the bridge than those related to operation.”
The 5,310 dwt cargo ship was navigating along the west coast of Sweden on the night of July 28. The ship, which was bound for Norway, was required to have a pilot aboard. While overtaking a small pleasure boat, it struck the vessel on the stern and kept going. The cargo ship did not stop until it was instructed to by the Coast Guard.
The father and son were ejected from the boat, which sank. They were rescued by another pleasure boat. After a search, the bodies of the mother and daughter were recovered along with the wrecked pleasure boat.
The captain, who is a Russian citizen, was quickly detained based on concerns that he could flee the country or interfere with the prosecution. Prosecutors later added charges of suspicion against the pilot, who was the only other person on the bridge with the captain.
“It is reasonable that the pilot's responsibility for the accident should also be examined by a court,” said von Reis.
According to the indictment, the defendants were negligent by failing to keep the required lookout so that the cargo ship did not give way to the overtaken pleasure boat. Under the Road Traffic Act, they had the obligation to give way to an overtaken vessel.
Prosecutors said they had reviewed factual information such as target tracks (of AIS and GPS positions) from the vessels involved. They also gained quick access to information from the cargo ship's VDR (Voyage Data Recorder).
Based on the review of the information, prosecutors said they now know for sure what could be seen in real time on radar screens on the bridge and what was said by the captain and the pilot on the bridge. Details about the division of roles between the master and the pilot emerged.
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Prosecutors said they had determined the important fact that the recreational boat that was caught up and hit was clearly visible as a radar echo on displays on the bridge. They assert it was information that was missed by both defendants. The captain and the pilot deny any crimes.
The main hearing is scheduled to start on September 10.
