Driver in fatal accident on the A58 near Rucphen had been drinking, police say
The driver of the car whose passenger died in an accident on the A58 near Rucphen on Friday night was under the influence of alcohol, police said the following morning. The 64-year-old man from the Noord-Brabant town remained in police custody after his blood alcohol level was found to be 550 micrograms per liter in a breathalyzer test.
That is 2.5 times the legal limit in the Netherlands. It was not yet clear why the car skidded off the road and slammed into a guardrail at the median, though a warning was in effect for icy roads overnight.
The impact probably caused a passenger to be thrown from the car, which was heading east at the time. The victim ejected from the car landed in the westbound lanes, where he was likely struck by several other drivers.
Emergency services were unable to assist the man who may have already been dead by the time they arrived. The police have not yet released any information about the identity of the victim.
Neither the driver, nor his other passenger, were injured in the crash. The suspect's car was seized in the investigation. The police asked witnesses who have not yet come forward to do so.
The A58 was closed in both directions all night for the investigation and road maintenance. Victim assistance services were arranged for anyone involved in the A58 accident, and any witnesses, should they need it, police said.
