Driver charged after fatal crash while drifting in Leppävirta

Police in Finland have completed their preliminary investigation into a December crash in Leppävirta that killed an 18-year-old man, Yle reports.

The driver, also 18 at the time, is suspected of causing death by negligence and gross endangerment of traffic safety after losing control of the car while drifting at high speed. The vehicle left the road on Teollisuustie and struck a tree.

The passenger who died was not wearing a seatbelt. Two underage girls in the car suffered minor injuries. The driver had a valid license, was not intoxicated, and the car was equipped with worn studded tires unfit for road use.

The speed limit on the road is 40 km/h, but the driver admitted to police he may have been traveling at 80 km/h. The incident occurred on the evening of December 12, 2025.

Prosecutors are now considering charges. Earlier reports noted the group had been filming TikTok videos of their driving before the crash.