Note: This article is one in a four-part series on low points of 2009. Overview

The stories coming out of a Swedish business conference in Savannah in April should've been about entrepreneurship, capital and sustainability.

Instead, GlobalAtlanta's reporting focused on a tragic accident that killed Nils Eric Svensson, an economic developer from southern Sweden.

Mr. Svensson was struck by a pickup truck while crossing Oglethorpe Street in downtown Savannah's historic district. He died a few hours later at Memorial University Medical Center.  

The event cast a pall over a conference that started with a buzz of excitement over the prospect of new business ties. Mr. Svensson was on his fifth trip to Savannah, a city he enjoyed visiting.

Just a few weeks before his untimely death, the tall, blue-eyed Mr. Svensson took time on a slow Sunday afternoon to meet with a GlobalAtlanta reporter in his hometown of Malmo, Sweden.

GlobalAtlanta was traveling to profile some of the companies and groups headed to the Savannah conference. Mr. Svensson gave us a tour of the city and Lund University, a nearby research powerhouse with some 50,000 students. 

After lunch and the tour, we conducted a filmed interview at the offices of Region Skane, an economic development agency for the southern Swedish province, the last interview Mr. Svensson would ever give. 

His warmth and hospitality won't be forgotten. 

See full Edays coverage here.

This article is one in a four-part series on low points of 2009.

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