Priit Sauk, Director General of the Transport Administration (Transpordiamet), told ETV morning show "Terevisioon" show that while the circumstances are still under investigation: "In my opinion, it is not right to say that the car slid into the culvert as the result of slippery road conditions," adding that: "In general, it is the driver's action, or inaction, that leads a car to end up in a culvert."

Sauk added that he had Wednesday night received additional information about the accidents, namely that the driver of a car involved in the fatal accident was not an Estonian, the vehicle at fault had been repeatedly sent back for technical inspection and was of questionable roadworthiness, while the car's tires were over 10 years old and not suitable for winter driving.

"Basically, they were driving on a slippery road, on plastic," he added.

The accident was one of several that took place on the same Järva County stretch of the Tallinn-Tartu highway on Sunday morning, with the fatality involving a collision between a VW Passat and an Opel Vectra – the latter was the vehicle which lost control and swerved into the path of the Passat – and caused the death of a 28-year-old woman, a passenger in the Opel.

Five other people – the Opel driver and the four occupants of the Passat, all in their 60s, were hospitalized due to the accident.

The original Järva teataja piece (in Estonian) is here.

Those at the scene of Sunday's accidents said the highway had been particularly slippery at the time, though an earlier inspection by the Transport Administration had found conditions to not be out of the ordinary.

The point at which Sunday's fatal accident took place, near the village of Imavere, is something of an accident blackspot.

Järva teataja is part of the Postimees Group.

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