Man who caused fatal A2 crash involved in previous accidents: report
A man responsible for a fatal accident on the A2 highway near Breukelen last month, previously caused at least three other accidents. Two people and the 38-year-old man from Vianen himself were killed in the accident last month. The man suffered from epileptic seizures and his licenses should have been revoked, the newspaper writes.
The first accident the newspaper linked to the Vianen man happened on the A2 highway in December 2016. The man crashed into a traffic jam on the Oudenrijn junction, likely after having a seizure, according to the newspaper. At the time, his driver's license was seized. But the Midden-Nederland police did not draw up an official report, which meant that the Public Prosecution Service and the court never ruled about whether he could keep his license.
The man was therefore able to get driver's license again after not having a seizure for six months.
Last year the man was involved in another accident, on the A28 near Hattem. Here the Oost-Nederland police did not confiscate his license at all - a mistake, the police admitted to AD. As a result, the licensing department CBR couldn't review whether the man should still be allowed behind the wheel.
The third accident AD linked to the man was on December 24th last year. No one was injured in this accident, so there was no investigation and his license was again not confiscated.
On October 17th this year, the Vianen man drove his car over the central reservation of the A2 and ended up on the wrong side of the highway. He collided head-on with two cars. A couple from Bergen aan Zee and the Vianen man were killed in the crash. The driver of the third car was injured.
The Oost-Nederland police told AD that the A2 accident was "terrible" and admits that a serious estimation error was made after the accident on the A28 last year. "We regret that the right actions were not taken in this collision." The police personally informed the surviving relatives of the victims in the A2 crash last week. "We expressed our condolences. A family officer is guiding and supporting the victims as much as possible."
A spokersperson for the family from Bergen aan Zee confirmed to AD that the police contacted them. "We are shocked and very shaken", the spokesperson said.