Sister of Helsinki hit-and-run victim asks for time to grieve

The sister of a woman killed in a hit-and-run on Helsinki’s Itäväylä has criticised media coverage of the victims’ backgrounds, saying it is premature and disrespectful.

Two people died early Tuesday when a taxi, allegedly driven by an intoxicated driver, struck them. The sister, contacted by Yle via email, said her family knows the victim best and that past history should not define the present moment.

She also disputed reports suggesting the victims were intoxicated or that one had been lying in the road before the collision.

“The investigation is ongoing, and even we, the family, do not yet know about my sister’s sobriety or how they came to be in the taxi’s path,” she wrote.

She asked for privacy, saying, “We hope the police are given space to investigate and that we, the family, are given time to grieve.”

Police confirmed Wednesday that video footage of the incident may exist and warned that sharing such material could itself be a crime. On Friday, they announced the suspect had been released and would not be detained.