A road accident involving a military SUV that claimed the life of a conscript and injured three others was caused by a steering overcorrection, the police announced on Wednesday.
The vehicle, a Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) Land Rover Defender, drove off the road and overturned a week ago.
The accident occurred in Southeastern Finland on highway 6, between the cities of Kouvola and Lappeenranta, under normal weather conditions, according to police. There were four conscripts in the vehicle when the accident occurred.
The driver's account of the accident was a key part of the investigation, according to police.
Lead investigator Timo Vallen said the SUV first drove too close to the edge of the road, and then the driver overcorrected.
"According to the driver, the accident was caused by excessive corrective steering. Then, when the vehicle neared the centreline, a second overcorrection brought it back towards the edge of the road. Because of that, the SUV veered off the road and overturned," Vallen explained.
The driver was not intoxicated and not driving above the speed limit, according to police. Investigators also do not suspect that the driver fell asleep or was using a mobile phone at the time of the accident.
"According to the driver, the sun was shining right in his face when the accident occurred and visibility was poor due to a dirty windshield. This may have contributed to the accident," Vallen noted.
The conscripts involved in the crash were participating in an exercise of the Pori Brigade.
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