11 people injured in multiple collision pile-up on Tallinn Ring Road

TALLINN – A multiple collision pile-up involving trucks as well as passenger vehicles and vans occurred on the Tallinn Ring Road on Friday morning, according to preliminary information, 11 people were injured, eight of whom required hospital treatment.

At 9:15 a.m., several consecutive traffic accidents were reported on the 13th kilometer of the Tallinn Ring Road.

Elari Haugas, head of the forensic unit of the North Prefecture's criminal bureau, said on Friday afternoon that police officers and rescuers are still working at the accident site, the wrecked cars are currently being towed away and the road is being cleared of pieces of the vehicles.

"All of this will take time and the road is expected to be closed at the scene for at least an hour or more. A total of 25 different vehicles were involved in the accident. 11 people were injured, eight of whom needed hospital treatment," Haugas said.

"The circumstances of the accidents are still being clarified. The police would like to remind road users that road conditions continue to be difficult on roads across Estonia. We ask all road users to take their time and be patient in reaching their destination. It is important to take into account the winter road conditions -- choose a driving speed that corresponds to the road conditions, avoid overtaking and keep a distance with the vehicle in front," Haugas added.

The first crew to arrive at the scene were rescuers from Assaku, who started checking the health of the drivers involved in the accident and determining the extent of the situation, spokespeople for the North rescue center told BNS.

The rescuers removed the battery terminals from the cars at the scene in order to eliminate the risk of ignition. Also, one person had to be cut out of one of the cars with hydraulic tools, after which they were handed over to the medics.

Currently operating at the scene are the rescue teams of Assaku, Tallinn's city center and Lasnamae as well as the volunteer rescue teams of Saku and Saue and the West-Harju head of field operations. A portable container, which the Rescue Board usually uses for long-term rescue works and where people can go to keep warm, has also been brought to the scene.

The road has been closed to traffic along the Luige-Kurna section of the Tallinn Ring Road towards Juri. Due to the rerouting of traffic, there are also traffic jams in the opposite direction in the area.

Road conditions are bad due to heavy snow and blizzards. The roads are icy and snowy. The police is advising drivers everywhere in Estonia to choose a speed appropriate to the road conditions and to keep a distance with the vehicle in front of them.