Truck driver who killed 7 in barbecue crash tested positive for cocaine

The truck driver who crashed into a neighborhood barbecue in Nieuw-Beijerlend last month, killing seven people, tested positive for cocaine, the Court of Appeal in The Hague revealed on Friday. The court said there are “serious suspicions” that the man drove the truck after substance use, “including cocaine."

The man can still await his trial in freedom under “special conditions,” the court said. These include that he’s not allowed to drive any motorized vehicle, “must cooperate in everything surrounding this case,” and must be present for the trial.

According to the court, this is the only way the truck driver can await his trial in freedom. If he violates any of these conditions, he will go back into custody.

On August 27, the Spanish truck driver hit a dike on Zuidzijde in Nieuw-Beijerland and crashed into a neighborhood party. He killed seven people - six adults, including a pregnant woman nearing the end of her term and her unborn child.

The trucker’s lawyer previously said that an epileptic seizure caused the accident. Whether that was the case is still under investigation, the court said.

After his release from pre-trial detention, the truck driver also told Spanish media that he was innocent and considered himself also a victim.