Five people die in Latvian crashes since Friday

Five people have died in road crashes in Latvia since Friday, including two in Salnava, Ludza municipality, LSM reported. Two others were injured in the Salnava crash.

The crash happened shortly before 9 a.m. on Sunday, October 25. A BMW X5 left the road at high speed, damaged several trees and overturned onto its roof. Police suspect the occupants were not wearing seat belts and that the car was travelling well above 100 kilometres per hour.

According to initial information cited by road safety expert Oskars Irbītis, the driver overtook another vehicle in a built-up area, then drove into a ditch. The car later hit a rise near a junction and rolled several times. Two people were thrown from the vehicle. One died at the scene and the other later died in hospital.

Three other fatal crashes took place over the weekend. On Friday, a BMW driven by a 19-year-old crashed near Kuldīga after the driver lost control on a winding road and the car slid into a tree. The driver died and a passenger was injured.

On Saturday, a Volkswagen struck two red deer that had entered the road between Iecava and Jelgava. The driver died and a passenger was injured. Irbītis said there were suspicions that seat belts had not been used properly.

On Sunday, one driver died in a collision between two heavy trucks at the intersection of Ulbrokas and Deglava streets in Riga. The driver is believed to have died while driving, after which the truck hit the other vehicle.

The Road Traffic Safety Directorate says speed, failure to wear seat belts and driving under the influence are the three most common factors behind deaths on the roads. It says this year has been particularly marked by fatal crashes in which very high speed was the main cause.