Toddler dies after being hit by unlicensed driver

4-year-old Bam from Hoogezand died after being hit by an 18-year-old man without a driver’s license on Wednesday afternoon.

The tragedy occurred a short distance away from the boy’s home. He had been chasing after a ball that rolled into the street when he was hit by the vehicle. Flowers, teddy bears, cards and wreaths now lay at the spot where the incident occurred.

Mayor of Midden-Groningen, Adriaan Hoogendoorn, called it “a drama for which words fail”, speaking to to De Telegraaf. Victim support was offered to witnesses of the crash. “It was around 4 pm and the weather was beautiful. There were many people on the street”, Hoogendoorn said.

“The investigation has only started on Wednesday afternoon and it is still fresh”, police spokesperson Paul Heidanus said to the newspaper. So far, it is known that the suspect also comes from Hoogezand. According to neighbors, there were multiple people in the car at the time of the accident, including possibly the suspect's mother.

Director of the Nico Bulderschool, the school that Bam attended, expressed condolences. “Our thoughts are with the family. It is incredibly sad and we are terribly shocked.”

“You see how fragile life can be”, a neighbor commented in tears.