Second fatal crash during chase involving Dutch police this week
An incident in Eersel, Noord-Brabant, led to the death of a 32-year-old man on Thursday morning. The driver had just crossed the border in Belgium after Dutch police tried to get their suspect to stop while still in the Netherlands, police confirmed. Earlier this week, two people died when a train slammed into their allegedly stolen car while Dutch police chased them in the same province. There were at least four police-involved chases in the Netherlands this week which resulted in a crash.
In the most recent incident, the 32-year-old reportedly eldued authorities when he was ordered to stop at 7:14 a.m. "The driver initially complied and stopped. He then evaded the check by driving away at high speed," the district police said on social media.
As police gave chase, officers said the suspect was racing towards Belgium. The crash happened a few hundred meters from this on the Eeerselseweg in Mol, Belgium, where his car collided head-on with a tree.
A spokesperson for the police would not disclose the man's hometown, Omroep Brabant reported. The car that the suspect was driving had a Belgian license plate. Police in Belgium were still investigating the accident more than an hour later. The area was cordoned off, and traffic was diverted from the location.
At the start of the week, another police-involved chase started on Monday night, and ended early Tuesday. Two men lost their lives when their vehicle was hit by a train in Berghem, Noord-Brabant. Police said the vehicle was stolen.
The crash on Burgermeester van Erpstraat killed a 43-year-old from Nijmegen and a 29-year-old from Wijchen. The reason for the chase has not been disclosed. The case is being reviewed to determine if the Dutch authorities acted properly by pursuing the vehicle.
Around the same time, police in Amsterdam also chased a 25-year-old man riding on a scooter. Officers tried to pull him over for driving without a helmet, but he allegedly would not stop.
A chase ensued, ending on Panamalaan at about 1:15 a.m. when the man fell off from the scooter. He was taken to an area hospital in serious condition. The case is also being reviewed to determine if police correctly followed procedures.
Another incident resulted in the arrest of a Polish man accused of stealing a car in Utrecht this week. The vehicle was spotted in Apeldoorn, and the driver led police on a wild chase of about 75 kilometers to Enschede.
The chase reached speeds of up to 190 kilometers per hour before it ran over a median and was struck hard by a police vehicle. Video footage showed the driver attempting to run off from the scene. He was tracked down and arrested.
