Car rams into group of people outside Eindhoven coffeeshop twice before driving off
Police in Eindhoven were searching for the driver of a car that smashed into a small group of people twice on a crowded city center street around noon on Wednesday. Two people were hospitalized, and another individual struck by the vehicle was evaluated by paramedics. One wounded person was arrested along with a second person taken into custody at the scene.
The incident followed an argument and a fight in front of the Pink coffeeshop on Willemstraat. The tense situation began when one individual was ejected from the coffeeshop for demeaning the staff, the owner of Pink told Omroep Brabant. Witnesses say an argument on the street developed into a fight.
One of the men involved in the altercation threatened the others, stormed into his car accompanied by his girlfriend, and then drove into people on the street. He then sped off, made a u-turn, and rammed into the group again, one witness told Omroep Brabant.
First, the vehicle struck a man head on, said the owner of a local snack bar in an interview with the Eindhovens Dagblad. “I saw a boy fly through the air and land with his face on the curb,” he said. "Another was struck against the wall."
A young woman who was not connected to the conflict was also grazed, but unharmed, the newspaper reported. The witness said he was also nearly struck by the vehicle, a white Volkswagen T-Roc registered in Belgium.
"Luckily, someone was able to pull me away just in time, otherwise, I would not be here in this condition," the man said. The Volkswagen was then driven away from the area. "I had to smoke five cigarettes just to calm down a bit.”
Police and paramedics were dispatched to the scene. “We arrested two people at the scene. This is due to suspicion of threats, and the other person interfered with the arrest to such an extent that he was also arrested,” police said. Witnesses said the latter was the man who had been lying face down on the ground.
"For sure, at least one of the boys who was involved in the fight was arrested," said the witness who spoke to the Eindhovens Dagblad. "He was lying on the ground and would not cooperate with police or with the [paramedics]. He was also aggressive towards me when I tried to help him."
Video from the scene showed police escorting a man in handcuffs to their squad car as he hobbled with a pronounced limp. "I think he was just in shock from everything that had happened,” the witness stated.
Some witnesses told Omroep Brabant that the fight started in Pink, but the coffeeshop owner denied that version of events. Those who participated in the incident on Willemstraat were believed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Police acknowledged that the situation remained very hazy three hours after the incident, saying the investigation into the circumstances remains ongoing.
Authorities asked people to be on the lookout for a white Volkswagen T-Roc with Belgian license plate number 2EUS531. Anyone who sees the vehicle should immediately contact the police, and should not approach the driver, according to an alert distributed to the public.
