Car crashes into Brabant home, elderly resident killed

By Janene Pieters on September 18, 2017 - 07:29
Ambulance
Ambulance. (Photo: Politie)

A car crashed into a home in the Noord-Brabant village of Luyksgestel on Sunday morning, crashing through the wall exactly where resident, 75-year-old Harrie van der Heijden, was sleeping at the time. The elderly man was rushed to hospital in critical condition. He died during the course of the day, AD reports.

There were two people in the car, a 26-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman from Latvia. Both were arrested. The woman was also injured, and was taken to hospital. The man was taken straight into custody. A breathalyzer test on the man revealed that he was 3.5 times over the alcohol limit. A blood test was done on the woman at the hospital. The results of the test are not yet known. It's not clear which of the two was driving the car. 

A cousin of the victim told newspaper AD that this was the third time a car crashed into Van der Heijden's home, located on a bend on Boscheind in Luyksgestel. The accident happened around 7:30 a.m. Van der Heijden ended up under the car. He was freed by paramedics and firefighters and rushed to the hospital, where he later died.

Van der Heijden was a well-known and well-loved resident in Luyksgestel, according to the newspaper. He volunteered at football club De Raven for many years. 

The police are investigating how the accident happened. Currently it seems that the car came from Luyksgestel and was heading in the direction of Lommelsedijk. On the bend on Boscheind, it crashed straight into the house. 

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