At least 2 known dead in truck crash; Driver from Spain in custody
An update issued by police said at least six were killed, and seven injured. One of those hurt was in critical condition. The update was covered in a separate report.
At least two people were killed after a lorry crashed into a neighborhood party in Nieuw-Beijerland, Zuid-Holland on Saturday evening, Rijnmond reports. The driver, a 46-year-old man from Spain, has been arrested, according to the police.
The large truck drove off a dike and into the barbecue party of an ice skating club around 6 p.m. on Saturday. Two witnesses told Rijnmond the truck stopped just before the T-junction of the road, then began driving again and crashed into the crowd.
That night, police reported that they were still unsure how many people had been killed because some were still trapped underneath the truck. Several victims were also taken to the hospital, according to the police. While news outlet Rijnmond initially reported that at least three people had been killed, a police press release later clarified that at least two people had died.
The driver of the truck, which had Spanish license plates, was uninjured. He was questioned by the police immediately after the crash, according to Rijnmond. Then he was arrested and taken to the police station. The driver's role is being investigated, police reported, and police are "keeping all scenarios...open."
A crime scene was established and cordoned off to investigate what exactly happened at the scene of the accident in the hamlet of Zuidzijde in Nieuw-Beijerland on Saturday night. Police seized the vehicle involved for technical examination, but have yet to say anything about the cause of the crash.
Victim support is available and there is a location for witnesses and victims set up near the accident site, according to Rijnmond. "Emergency services are doing their utmost, but the impact is enormous. My thoughts are with all victims, relatives and first responders who do everything in their power," said Mayor Wouter Kolff of the municipality of Dordrecht, who is also chair of the Zuid-Holland Zuid Security Region.
Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yeşilgöz also responded to the incident, saying, "I sympathize with the relatives, victims and everyone present. Wish them all the best."
There were at least 100 registrations for the event, which was a goodbye party for a chairman of the club, local resident Leen van Dijk told Rijnmond. "I don't know how this could have happened. We can all come up with scenarios, but that doesn't help."
