Suspect remanded into custody in car crash that killed two women, two children

The driver who was taken into custody following a tragic traffic accident in Oud Gastel is suspected of reckless driving. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) said they believe the 27-year-old man from Roosendaal is guilty of causing the accident. The examining magistrate ruled on Tuesday that the man will remain in custody for the next two weeks while the investigation into the crash continues, the Public Prosecution Service reports.

The accident killed a 39-year-old mother, and her 8-year-old son and her daughter, aged 10. Another passenger, a 42-year-old woman, also died. Her 9-year-old daughter was injured. She has since been released from the hospital and has returned home.

The accident took place during the early evening of Friday at an intersection at the Blauwhekken in Oud Gastel. The suspect was driving a rented Mercedes. At the intersection, he was allegedly travelling at a very high rate of speed when he collided with the victims' Toyota. The victims are from nearby Bosschenhoofd.

"His driving style has led to this grim occurrence," said the public prosecutor on Tuesday about the suspect. "An occurrence that killed four people."

The investigation into the exact circumstances of the accident is still ongoing, the OM said.

The municipality of Halderberge, which includes Oud Gastel, is going to see how it can work with the surrounding municipalities and the police to deal with drivers speeding in the area. "Our first priority now lies with the impact this has on our municipality and in particular the residents of Bosschenhoofd," said Mayor Bernd Roks on Tuesday afternoon.

"The statement from the Public Prosecution Service is in line with what I said earlier. It is a trend we see more and more, that young men drive through our municipality with rented cars. Our municipality should be a safe place for our residents and our children especially," said Roks.