Car that ran over four Norwegian tourists in central Helsinki was not speeding

Driver had no alcohol in his bloodstream, police confirm

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In the investigation into the running over of four Norwegian tourists on the Mannerheimintie main artery in central Helsinki on Saturday evening, police have found no signs of significant speeding. Furthermore, the driver was not operating his vehicle under the influence, says Inspector Petri Juvonen, who leads the investigation team.
      In the accident, which took place in front of the House of Parliament at around 11 o’clock in the evening, three Norwegian women sustained minor injuries, while a fourth was seriously hurt.
     
The women were part of a larger tourist group that was crossing the street.
      On the left-side lane leading towards the city centre a car had stopped at the pedestrian crossing to allow the group to proceed across the street.
      According to Juvonen, the driver of the stopped vehicle then noticed in his rear-view mirror a car on the adjacent (right-hand) lane advancing fast towards the crossing, and he tried to alert the group by hooting the horn of his car. Some of the people managed to get out of the way, but some did not.
      According to Juvonen, it is still difficult to estimate whether the car that struck the pedestrians was speeding or not. There are no braking skidmarks of any kind from which the speed could be detected.
      Juvonen adds, however, that the driver of the vehicle that struck the pedestrians cannot be accused of road hogging. "If he was speeding at all, it was not by much."
     
The circumstances at the scene of the accident are confusing for all parties. There are road works taking place, the traffic sign indicating a pedestrian crossing is missing, and the lighting conditions in the evenings are poor.
      The driver of the accident vehicle had just recently received his driving licence. According to Juvonen, at least one of the victims has already been released from hospital.
      Under the terms of the law, it is always necessary to stop at a pedestrian crossing if another car in a parallel lane is stationary at or just in front of the crossing, even in cases where the stationary car is part of a rush-hour queue of vehicles and is thus unable to move forward, even though the crossing might be free of pedestrians. Accidents such as the one on Saturday nevertheless do occur with disturbing frequency.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Danger lurks at pedestrian crossings - children at risk in Helsinki (16.8.2005)

Helsingin Sanomat