Police van collapses wooden footbridge during urgent call

A police van broke through a wooden footbridge in Jyväskylä during an urgent call, leaving the bridge closed and unusable. The incident happened in Kortepohja over the weekend, Yle reports.

The bridge crosses a ditch on a pedestrian and cycle route near Korteniityntie. Jyväskylä city maintenance supervisor Erno Rekonen said the bridge was no longer safe to use and would need to be replaced as soon as possible.

Police said the breakage was an accident. Inspector Teemu Karhunen said officers were searching for people during an urgent call between Friday and Saturday night. The patrol first went onto the bridge on foot to check its structure, then drove a police van onto it. Rotten planks gave way and the vehicle became stuck.

The van was not damaged, and the patrol continued its work after the vehicle was pulled out of the ditch. Karhunen said the damage was not caused by young people, despite speculation on social media. He said the call may have involved young people, but not in the way suggested online.

The city is considering replacing the bridge with a large culvert pipe and fill. Rekonen said the crossing could be back in some form as early as next week if that option is used; a repair requiring specially ordered materials could take longer.