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Prosecutor: Lorry driver on phone when 11-year-old girl was hit

The lorry driver who is facing charges for causing the death of an 11-year-old girl in Tampere was speaking on a mobile phone in hands-free mode when the accident occurred, the prosecution told Pirkanmaa District Court. The driver faces aggravated manslaughter and felony traffic hazard charges, and will be sentenced at the end of December.

Onnettomuuspaikka Mariankadun ja Pirkankadun risteyksessä
Tampereella täysperävaunullisen rekan alle jäänyt 11-vuotias tyttö menehtyi saamiinsa vammoihin viime vuoden syksyllä.. Image: Riikka Nurmi / Yle

The court case about the lorry accident which killed an 11-year-old girl at a zebra crossing in downtown Tampere in August has begun in Pirkanmaa District Court.

The prosecution is demanding that the court hands down a sentence of conditional imprisonment and a six month driving ban to the man who faces aggravated manslaughter and felony traffic hazard charges.

On August 26, an 11-year-old girl was hit by an articulated lorry while crossing street at a crosswalk in the centre of Tampere, and the girl later died from her injuries.

The tragedy came on the heels of a similar accident involving a 9-year-old girl who was killed crossing the road in Helsinki.

Both accidents occurred at intersections where green lights were given to both pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

These tragedies - as well as other recent accidents involving pedestrians or bicyclists sparked widespread debate about pedestrian and cycling safety and traffic laws.

The prosecutor in the Tampere case said the driver is responsible for the girl's death and guilty of gross negligence.

Sentencing is scheduled during Christmas week.