New video shows ambulance reached Tuusula crash in 14 minutes

A previously unpublished video obtained by Yle shows a boy getting out of a ditch on his own after a police car forced his moped off the road in Tuusula. Yle’s review found that an ambulance arrived about 14 minutes after the crash, not an hour as had been reported publicly.

Yle’s verification team and investigative desk reconstructed the timeline using video metadata, eyewitness accounts and information from authorities.

Police had previously said that a patrol spotted a two-wheeled vehicle without a registration plate at 18.56 while conducting traffic monitoring in the area. That statement led to a public misunderstanding that the police manoeuvre had also taken place at that time.

According to information obtained by Yle, the police forced the moped rider into a ditch on Palkkintie in Tuusula at 19.46. The new video shows the boy immediately climbing out of the ditch, while the police officer gets out of the car and walks towards him. A large group of young people arrives at the same time.

The video’s metadata shows that it was recorded at 19.46. The person who filmed it and two other eyewitnesses also confirmed the timing to Yle. After the events shown in the video, the officer handcuffed the boy and drove away, according to other videos seen by Yle.

HUS told Yle that the police ordered an ambulance to the junction of Huoltotie and Fallbackantie at 19.52. The junction is about one kilometre from the crash site. The ambulance arrived at 20.00.

The situation was still ongoing at about 20.20, according to another eyewitness video obtained by Yle. The verification team located the video at the junction of Fallbackantie and Huoltotie and identified the car as the same vehicle driven by the police officer involved in the crash.

Police said the underage rider suffered minor injuries. The moped rider has told Helsingin Sanomat and said in a social media post seen by Yle that he broke a metatarsal and five bones in his hand.

Both the police officer and the moped rider are suspected of crimes. The 27-year-old officer is suspected of breach of official duty, aggravated endangerment of traffic safety and causing bodily injury. He has not yet been interviewed and has been moved to other duties while the investigation continues.

A prosecutor is investigating the officer’s actions because of the criminal suspicion. The young rider is preliminarily suspected of aggravated endangerment of traffic safety, driving a vehicle without a licence and a vehicle offence. The Helsinki Police Department is investigating that case.

Yle was unable on Wednesday to reach the police officer or the prosecutor for comment. Yle has previously reported that the moped rider was travelling at about 90 kilometres per hour when the police manoeuvre took place.