Tuusula moped meet: 15-year-old suspected of three offences, case referred to prosecutor
Helsinki police have completed the preliminary investigation into the chase following the Tuusula moped meet. The teenage driver is suspected of dangerous driving and related offences.
Helsinki police concludes preliminary investigation into Tuusula moped meet
According to Google News FI — Crime (fi), Helsinki police have completed the preliminary investigation into the chase related to the moped meet held in Tuusula in early August. The principal suspect in the case is a 15-year-old boy, who is accused of dangerous driving, driving a vehicle without authorisation, and a traffic violation. The case has been referred to the prosecutor for consideration of charges.
The incident attracted widespread media attention in early August. Dozens of young people participated in the moped meet held in Tuusula on 8 August, with police present conducting traffic surveillance. Police spotted a young person riding a two-wheeled vehicle without registration plates and initiated a pursuit. The driver is suspected of accelerating sharply in an attempt to escape. The situation ended with a police car pushing the moped into a ditch.
The preliminary investigation also revealed that the moped had been modified in such a way that it was classified as a motorcycle. The driver did not possess the required driving licence to operate the vehicle.
The incident spread widely, particularly through videos captured of the incident. The videos show how an unmarked police car catches up with the moped rider and contact occurs between the two vehicles, after which the young person veers off the road and collides with a fence beside the road. According to the prosecutor, the speed of both vehicles was considerable before the collision.
A separate preliminary investigation has been initiated into the police's own conduct, led by Heli Haapalehto, the regional prosecutor of the police crime unit at the state prosecutor's office. The investigation will examine, among other matters, whether police had grounds for a forcible stop or whether the collision resulted from the loss of control of the police car. Police are suspected of breach of official duty and dangerous driving, and the suspicion of causing injury was upgraded to gross causing of injury in mid-August. The officer who drove the car has been removed from traffic surveillance duties for the duration of the investigation.
Source: Google News FI — Crime (fi)