Truck that landed on its side was carrying munitions

TALLINN – A vehicle of the defense forces conducting regular transportation of munitions turned over on its side on a soft road shoulder at kilometer 2.4 of the Anna-Purdi road at around 3 p.m. on Monday afternoon.

As a result of the accident, traffic on said road was closed for the whole day, Jarva Teataja regional newspaper reported.

2nd Lt. Liis Vaksmann, from the press office of the defense headquarters in Tallinn, said that the short convoy of vehicles of the defense forces performing the transport of supplies had driven off the main road to take a rest break.

"In the process, due to human error by one of the drivers, a driving error occurred, as a result of which the truck, which was proceeding at low speed, partially drove onto the road shoulder. Because the road shoulder was soft, the truck landed on its side in the ditch," she said.

Nobody was injured in the accident.

Police closed the road to traffic and it was not reopened until around 11 p.m.

Locals talking to the newspaper said the truck was carrying ordnance and they had heard talk about mines. 

According to the press officer, at the time of the accident, the vehicle was carrying out the usual transportation of munitions.

"Traffic was closed on this section of the road to ensure the safety of all road users and members of the defense forces helping the stranded truck back to the road. As the road there is quite narrow and space was needed to retrieve the vehicle that had landed in the ditch and to reload the cargo, traffic was closed at the scene of the event," the officer said.

She also said the convoy of the defense forces had ended up on a road that is off-limits for category C vehicles due to an error of the driver.