Swat team cop in court for fatal wreck

The officer that hit 18 year old Memphis van Veen with his car in March 2013 in Eindhoven, will be appearing in the court in Den Bosch today. He is suspected of causing a fatal accident, Omroep Brabant reports.

The first year nursing student was hit by a car of a SWAT team as she was driving over the crossing of Noord-Brabantlaan with Welschapseddijk. The traffic light was green for her. She died at the scene.

The SWAT team was rushing towards Bergeijk to deal with a disturbed man walking around with a gun. According to an eyewitness, the officers were "driving like idiots on the bus lane". One of the officers had stopped his car at the intersection with flashing lights and sirens to make room for the rest of the team's cars. According to the AD, there are various explanations on the hand gestures this officer was making. The police state that it was meant to stop other traffic, but a witness who was standing next to Memphis at the traffic light stated that the hand gesture was unclear.

In 2013 the Public Prosecutor ruled that the officer could not be prosecuted as he acted within the rules. Memphis' parents the initiated a so-called article 12 procedure and in June last year the court in Den Bosh ruled that he could be prosecuted. The case appears in court today.