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Taxi drivers gather to remember crash victim in Tampere Central Square

A middle-aged taxi driver lost his life after a Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) vehicle hit the back of his taxi while he was stopped at a red light in Tampere.

Tampere taxi drivers held a moment of silence in memory of a colleague who lost his life.
  • Yle News

Taxi drivers held a moment of silence in Tampere's Central Square on Thursday in memory of a colleague who died in a crash with a military vehicle this past weekend.

The moment of silence was organised by the taxi firm Tampereen Aluetaksi, but was also attended by drivers from other companies. In total, roughly 80 taxis gathered in the square on Thursday.

The middle-aged driver who died in the crash was decorated for his customer service at the end of last year.

The driver's death has had a broad impact within the taxi industry in Tampere and elsewhere in Finland.

Taxis in the Tampere Central Square.
Taxis parked in the Tampere Central Square.
Taxis parked in the Tampere Central Square with their drivers standing next to them.
Taxis parked in the Tampere Central Square with their drivers by standing solemnly by their side.

"The incident has deeply affected the industry and everyone on the road. Anything can happen at any time," Tampereen Aluetaksi CEO Tero Kallio told Yle.

Kallio added that many customers have passed their condolences on to the driver's family and other taxi drivers are stopping for moments of silence across Finland.

On Tuesday, a Tampere court remanded the 20-year-old driver of the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) Toyota Hilux involved in the accident on suspicion of manslaughter.

Police and the FDF both confirmed that the vehicle was not being driven in an official capacity at the time of the crash.